Willow's Quest
by Subieko
Summary: Willow was an ordinary trainer...until she met the mysterious Arturo and was drawn into a battle with Team Blade. Now she and her Pokemon must stop Team Blade and solve the mystery of the Ancient Civilization...before it's too late.
1. Willow

Chapter 1--Willow

Willow had lived on Winter Isle all of the 14 years of her life. She had only one Pokemon, and most people assumed that she was too old to start a trainer quest now. Winter Isle, it is true, was famous for producing trainers later in life, but all the same, Willow did not look like becoming one. She was awkward and shy, and usually self-conscious. Even her scatter-brained, insensitive mother believed that Willow was a hopeless case. However desperately Willow wanted to be a trainer, she knew that the people of Winter Isle would never give her a chance. Maybe they were right; maybe she wasn't cut out to be a trainer. But she had to try. It was customary for all children to become Pokemon trainers in the Equinox Islands. Willow would not be left behind in this, too. She had one Pokemon, Blizat; although it had a stout heart, it was no stronger than she herself. For those two, the quest looked as though it were over before it had even begun. But Willow wasn't going to give up yet. If only there was some way she could prove to everyone that she could be a trainer! Most of all, if only she could convince herself.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The advertisement had proclaimed, "Trainers welcome! Tickets to Kanto--special low price!" Willow wanted to travel to Kanto, the famous home of the Guardian. Kanto was legendary for producing great trainers out of people who looked unpromising. Surely, Kanto could do the same for her? Willow begged her mother to go. Her mother, thoughtless as she was, said yes, hoping to get Willow out of her hair for a while. Willow probably would have been in trouble if it had not been for her Aunt.

"Willow, a journey in a foreign land might be dangerous! Be careful. Here, take this money for a map and some Pokeballs. Take this too; they were mine in my youth, and I'm sure they will serve you well." Her Aunt gave her a pair of gloves, such as any respectable, well-prepared trainer should wear. "Willow, I know you can do this. Have faith in yourself and your Pokemon; good luck!"

With that, Willow had booked passage on the ocean liner Wave Race. She was sure she could be a good trainer, especially away form all those people at home who thought she couldn't do it. She could! As Willow looked at the passenger roster, she realized with dismay that Grant, her next door neighbor, had also booked passage! Oh, no! Grant was mean, and he hated Willow. He considered her his rival, since she was the only person he could be sure of beating in a battle. Now what could she do? Oh, well. The only thing to do was lie low, and hope that no one challenged her to a battle before they reached Kanto.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow was wandering the corridor, looking for her room, when Grant bumped into her!

"Ha! What are you doing here, Willow? You don't have a prayer in the Indigo League in Kanto! You're certainly not going to get very far with that stupid little rat Pokemon of yours! Hey! Why don't we battle right now? I'll cream you!"

Willow bit her lip, pushing her pale, shoulder length light-brown hair back behind her ears. Blizat, the ice Rattata Pokemon, was not particularly strong against Grant's Pokemon, Eeevee, but...no trainer could refuse a battle challenge! What would she do? She had no choice but to except.

"You're on, Grant! Go! Sleet!" A bluish rat about a foot long with a curled tail, rounded ears, two protruding front teeth, and a white belly appeared.

Grant smiled maliciously, dark blue eyes glittering with anticipation. "Ha! I'll use my Eevee! Go!" Grant threw his Pokeball as well, sending out the fluffy, brown fox, which stretched, blinking its wide eyes and twitching its creamy-tipped tail.

The battle was short, and not a good one for Willow. Eevee was faster and stronger than Sleet, and Willow lost in no time, being very inexperienced.

"Oh, no! Sleet, are you okay? You'd better return now." Willow sighed, gray eyes glittering with tears as Grant laughed again.

"Ha! I'm gonna go look for some tougher trainers! Fighting you just isn't a challenge, Willow! See ya...if you even make it to the Indigo League!" He walked off, running a hand through his dark brown hair to make it stick up even more.

Willow wanted to cry. _Maybe I should just go home right now_, she thought. Willow looked at her gloved hands. Someone did have faith in her. She couldn't give up yet. She just couldn't!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Luckily for Willow, the ship had an on-board Pokemon Center facility, and Sleet was as good as new in no time. On her way back to the cabin, Willow heard a commotion. She ran over to see what was going on. The irate captain was shaking a small, fuzzy yellow Pikachu at the crowd of passengers, coal-black hair sticking every which way in his agitation.

"All right, whose is it? It's ruining the supplies! Which one of you irresponsible brats does it belong to? No one? Then it's overboard for you, you little pest!" He swung his thickly muscled arm toward the ships railing; no one made a move to help the poor Pokemon, which shut its eyes in fear, lightning-bolt-shaped tail and long, pointed ears limp.

To her surprise, Willow found herself shouting, "Wait! That Pikachu is mine!"

The furious captain turned to her. "WHAT? It's YOURS? Well, take it quick, and don't let me see it again! If that little rat so much as shows its ears during the remainder of this voyage, it's HISTORY! Do I make myself clear?" He dumped the Pikachu into her arms, causing it to squeak as the breath was knocked out of it

Willow trembled with fear, but looked the captain in the eye. "Yes, sir. I'm sure he wouldn't WANT to look at someone like YOU ever again!"

The captain turned towards her, but Willow had already raced below, carrying the apparently abandoned Pikachu with her.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Hey, Pikachu...you can come out now! It's okay, the captain's gone!" The Pikachu did not seem concerned. It made a face at her before going back to its nap, yawning and rubbing the bright red circles-its electrical spots-on its face. "Oh! What am I going to do with you? If I can't even get you to listen to me, how can I take you with me? I guess I have to now, though. You don't belong on this ship. How could you have gotten here in the first place?"

It never occurred to Willow that the Pikachu might have been abandoned by an irresponsible trainer, but it was. The next morning, Willow found a note shoved underneath her cabin door.

"Dear trainer, I am afraid that you have just taken in my old Pikachu. Rafael is disobedient, unruly, and weak. Take good care of him, because I certainly don't want to! Sincerely, a trainer."

Willow looked at Rafael. "Poor Rafael! Your trainer must have abandoned you. Well, you're my Pokemon now. Don't worry; I'll take good care of you."

Soon, a ship-wide announcement was given. "To all trainers: the ship has reached Pallet town port. Please disembark now. Thank you and have a nice day!"

Willow smiled. "Come on, Sleet, Rafael! It's time we got going; we have a Pokemon League Competition to sign up for!"


	2. Welcome to Kanto

Chapter 2--Welcome to Kanto

Willow stepped off the ship into Pallet Town. Pallet Town was usually a quiet, peaceful place...but not today! Today, trainers form all over the World had come here to receive Pokemon and Pokedexes from Prof. Oaks, a renowned Pokemon expert. Usually, the Guardian presided over the ceremonies, but today, she was somewhere else. Willow didn't know it, but trouble was brewing. Happily, this would not affect her quest. Willow already had a Pokemon (now, she had two of them!), so she only received a Pokedex from Prof. Oaks.

"Ah! You're from Winter Isle, I see. We don't get many trainers form the islands these days. Oh, dear. There are so many trainers each year...it's a good thing not all of them come to Pallet town. Well, here's your Pokedex, Willow. Good luck on your journey!"

Willow thanked the Professor and looked around the town. Trainers were everywhere! "Well, I guess I had better not waste any more time looking around. We have to get going. I'll buy a town map, then we can leave."

Willow hurried to the nearest map store. "Hello, young lady! I suppose you're a young trainer looking for a map? You'll probably be needing Pokeballs, too...lessee now..."

Willow blinked. "Pokeballs? I forgot! I need them too! I hope I have enough..."

Willow did, but she could only afford two Pokeballs. Only trainers getting a Pokemon from Prof. Oaks received Pokeballs from him as well; other trainers had to buy them. Willow hurried on her way. She had to reach Viridian City; according to the map, it was the first town ahead.

"Well, let's get going, guys. Viridian City, here we come!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

It takes most trainers very little time to reach Viridian City. Willow took only a few hours, going at top speed. Sadly, she caught no new Pokemon on her way. Willow was worried.

"I need to catch more Pokemon if I want to win my battles! What am I going to do?" Oh well...I suppose I should look around the town."

Willow headed to the Pokemon Center. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy? I'm here to find out about the Gym in this town. Do you know where it is?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Well, young lady, I'm afraid that the Gym in this town is above the level of any rookie trainer. Most people face the leader, Giovanni, last. His Pokemon are very powerful, and I recommend that you face Brock, leader of Pewter City's Gym, first. That's through the Viridian Forest, but make sure you don't get lost! Stay in the marked areas; the others are restricted to trainers. If you keep to the path, you should be fine. Good luck!"

Willow nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I'll do that."

So, the leader Giovanni was powerful, was he? Well, she would certainly wait to face him. How strange that he should choose to live in Viridian! It was near the Pokemon League, though. In any case, she would have to travel through the Viridian Forest. Hmm...she certainly didn't want to get lost!

"I had better be careful to stay on the path." Willow set off once more.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Three hours later, Willow was on the verge of tears. She was hopelessly lost! A wrong turn had taken her deep into the forest, an area not marked on her map. Willow sat down in a open glade. She didn't know which way to go next. Willow might have cried, and even given up her ambitions right there, if not for a sudden, high-pitched cry. Willow recognized the sound of a Pokemon in trouble.

"Someone must be hurting that Pokemon! Come on, we have to help it!"

Willow ran towards the sound. Whoever was hurting the Pokemon, she would do something about it!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow was unknowingly running toward the path. Just before she reached it, however, she saw two boys, barely older than she was, poking a Caterpie with sticks. The green, foot-long caterpillar Pokemon cried out in pain as its soft exoskeleton was punctured, the red feeler on its head twitching.

Willow shouted at them. "Hey, you two! Knock it off! Can't you see that you're hurting that Caterpie?"

The two boys stood up. "What's it to you?" one of them snarled.

The other chimed in. "We aren't lettin' no stupid girl push us around! Let's get her!"

With that, they sent out two fearsome-looking Pokemon. The first was an angry Spearow, a bird Pokemon, which ruffled its fluffy brown-and-white feathers, clicking its sharp beak. The second was a large Oddish, a blue radish Pokemon with green leaves sprouting from its head. It blinked its red eyes in the bright sunlight, more used to night conditions.

"Go! Sleet! Use your Hail Storm attack!" Sleet's type advantage allowed it to blow the opponents away. "Great job, Sleet! Return!"

The other two trainers looked furious. Quickly returning their Pokemon, they shouted to Willow as they retreated hastily, "You haven't seen the last of us! We'll get you for this!" With that, they were gone.

Willow looked at the Caterpie. It was bleeding profusely, and it needed to be taken to the Pokemon Center right away. Luckily, Willow found the path. Before long, she was racing toward Pewter City, carrying the injured Caterpie.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow reached Pewter City quickly, although she feared that too much time might have been wasted already. Rushing to the Pokemon Center, Willow brought the Caterpie to Nurse Joy.

"Oh, my! Is that your Caterpie? Well, you certainly haven't taken very good care of it! Come with me at once!"

Willow, following Nurse Joy to the examination room, stuttered her explanations. "Nurse Joy--it isn't my Caterpie, it--I found it in the woods--do you think--will it be okay?"

Nurse Joy hurried into the examination room. "Wait out here, young lady. I'll do what I can."

Willow waited for an agonizingly long hour. Finally, Nurse Joy returned. Willow jumped up.

"How's Caterpie? Will it be okay?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Caterpie needs some more treatment, and a lot of rest, but I'm sure that it will be fine. It may not have been yours when you found it, but I'm afraid it is now. This Caterpie can't be returned to the wild for a long time, and I can't raise a Caterpie properly. This Pokemon belongs with a trainer. You can sleep on this couch over here; I'll wake you when I'm done."

The next day, Willow got up drowsily. Remembering her mission, she immediately went to see Nurse Joy. "Well, here's your new Caterpie. It shouldn't do too much for a day or so, but it will be perfectly fine for battling by tomorrow. I'm sure you're going to challenge our gym leader, Brock, after all?"

Willow nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I have to go; goodbye!"

Willow left the Pokemon Center, wondering what to do in preparation for her impending battle with Brock. Knowing that the Gym Leader used mostly rock-type Pokemon, she looked carefully at her lineup for advantageous type matches. Sleet would certainly be useful with his ice-type attacks, but her other Pokemon were all seriously disadvantaged against a rock-type!

"Oh, no! What will I do now?" Willow knew that she would have to trust her Pokemon to do their best. She headed resolutely off to the gym. 


	3. Battle With Brock

Chapter 3--Battle with Brock

Willow stood before the massive doors of the Pewter City gym. Like the rest of the building, they were rock-solid and looked very old and durable. She shivered; if these doors were a reflection on Brock's attitude toward Pokemon training, they would have to fight their hardest to win the Boulder Badge.

"Well...are you ready, everybody? Come on; it's no use stalling." With that, she stepped timidly into the impressive gym--her first official battle. Willow took a deep breathe. It was time to meet Brock. 

"Hello? Is...is anyone here?" Willow looked around, not wanting to step any further into the intimidating gym. As no sound came from any part of the stadium, she cautiously went forward. At that moment, the floor began to move! With a loud grinding, it split into a Pokemon battle arena! Brock leapt down from a platform at the back of the gym where he had evidently been resting, clear, dark eyes appraising Willow.

"So. A new trainer has come to challenge me. This is an official match, so we may only use a certain number of Pokemon. In my gym, the rule is two each. Select your Pokemon carefully; it's time to battle for the Boulder Badge!"

With this ferocious speech, Brock leapt to the floor, brushing his brown-black bangs out of his eyes. Willow cringed. She had no idea what to do about her second Pokemon! Brock stared impatiently at her, flustering Willow. Rafael would never beat a rock-type until he was much stronger, but Caterpie would barely damage a rock Pokemon! What could she do?

"Well? I don't have all day; there are other trainers who wish to battle me."

By this time, a sizable crowd of waiting trainers and Pewter City dwellers had gathered to watch the impending match. Poor Willow was so embarrassed and nervous! Rafael, not battling in this match, patted her head from his perch on her shoulder.

"My Pokemon are right behind me all the way. I just have to remember that," Willow whispered to herself. Later in her journey, she would remember this again, and it would help her greatly. For now, at least, it gave her the confidence to choose two Pokeballs off her belt. Willow wasn't so sure about the outcome of this match, but she was ready to fight with all her heart.

"I'm ready," Willow said quietly.

Brock smiled grimly. "Then let's get started! Geodude! GO!" What looked like a small boulder with arms and a face appeared.

Willow took an icy-blue Pokeball that seemed oddly colored to the citizens of Kanto off her belt--her first Pokemon, Sleet. "Then I choose Sleet! Let's go!"

The tiny Pokemon was quite a surprise to the other trainers. It looked like a blue and white, extra-furry Rattata to them, but in Willow's homeland, Blizat was a common ice/normal type Pokemon.

"Quick, Sleet! Use your Icy Wind!" Geodude was hit, but he quickly shook off the attack. "Oh, no! Sleet, look out! Do something!"

Before Sleet could dodge, Brock's Geodude came hurtling forward. It struck Sleet, slamming it into the ground.

"Sleet, hang in there! Don't give up!"

The spectators chuckled to themselves. Yep, this match was sure to go to Brock! Silly girl, all that cheerleading wouldn't save her now that Geodude was using the type advantage Willow had forgotten about--rock's advantage over ice! But Willow's faithful Pokemon wasn't about to give up yet. Slowly, he staggered to his feet.

"Sleet, you did it! Oh, thank you, Sleet!"

Willow thought fast. Icy Wind hadn't been strong enough to bring down the powerful Geodude; the only other move that could win this match was Ice Beam...but Willow didn't want to make Sleet use that--it would exhaust him! He still wasn't strong enough to use it effectively. She couldn't tell him to do that!

"Sleet, try using Icy Wind again! Just do your best!"

Sleet heard his trainer, and in his stalwart heart, he knew that the only way to win was to faint himself by using Ice Beam. Willow would never order him to do so; she cared for her Pokemon too deeply to do that. He would just have to do it himself. Brock saw the little Pokemon struggling, and knew that it was time to finish this match.

"Geodude, BODY SLAM!" Geodude was zooming straight towards Sleet, this looked like the end!

"Oh, no! SLEET!" But no! Suddenly, Geodude was drive backwards by a powerful force! It was Ice Beam! The little Blizat was using the last of its strength for Willow. Its courage defeated Geodude.

"NO! Geodude, return now! You won this one--let's see how you do against my next Pokemon! GO! ONIX!" The huge rock snake appeared with a roar, the single stone spike on its head grazing the ceiling even when it bent over.

Willow returned Sleet. "Sleet, you did that for me...thank you. You rest now. I'm gonna finish what you started," Willow whispered. She had only one Pokeball left. Holding it resolutely, she cast it forward, and with it all her hopes and fears. "Go!" Out came the yet-unnamed Caterpie.

The spectators began to laugh aloud. A CATERPIE? Was this girl CRAZY? Ridiculous! Brock seemed to think so too.

"Ha! This'll be over in no time! Onix! Slam!"

Caterpie puffed itself up. People were laughing at his trainer! He would not stand for this! Willow had saved him; now it was time to help her in return. A fine, sticky string shot out of Caterpie's feeler. It wrapped around and around Onix. Onix fell down--right on Caterpie! Smoke and dust was everywhere. Willow strained to see. Could Caterpie have hung on--despite such a terrible blow? 

-o-o-o-o-o-

The smoke finally cleared. Onix was struggling to get up, but Caterpie lay still. Brock smiled. "Your Caterpie is finished!"

Willow swallowed hard, forcing back tears. But wait! Something was happening! With a shimmer and a pulsating glow, Caterpie began to change. Its excess webbing began to harden. Soon, Willow's Caterpie was replaced by a hard, green casing that gleamed in the gym lights. It had become...Metapod!

"Oh, wow! Caterpie, you're okay! I mean--Metapod!"

Brock scowled. "Onix, it doesn't matter! Rock Slide attack, now!"

"Metapod, harden!"

The rocks bounced off. Brock was furious! "Onix, you can beat that little bug! BODY SLAM!"

Brock had made a fatal mistake. Metapod hardened once more--and Onix, with a sharp crack! bounced off. It lay stunned.

"Come on, Onix! You can do this!" Slowly, Onix rose. But--oh no! Metapod's shell was cracked!

"Metapod!" Suddenly, another strange thing began to happen. Something rose from the ruined shell. A slim, purple body with six legs and large eyes arose, supported by fragile-looking, translucent wings. It was a Butterfree! Butterfree used its Sleep Powder, and the match was over. Willow's amazing Pokemon had evolved not once, but twice--only to help her. That day, loyalty won the battle. Willow had earned her Boulder Badge.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Well, Willow, you certainly showed me a thing or two! I'm proud to present you with this Boulder Badge," said Brock, handing Willow the small, hexagon-shaped brown badge, fashioned to look like a rock.

Willow smiled. "Thanks, Brock! We finally did it, everybody! We did it, thanks to you!"

Willow's Pokemon, having visited the Pokemon Center, cheered along with her. The proud trainer and Pokemon were ready to set off for their next challenge--Cerulean City! But, to get there, they would have to go through Mount Moon. What might happen there? Willow didn't know, but with her new Boulder Badge gleaming on her jacket, she was ready to find out. 


	4. Silver Spring

Chapter 4--Silver Spring

Willow set out from Pewter city at once, wishing to get on the road before the crowds of other trainers did. To her dismay, however, she was held up by a police investigation! One of the retired Rocket Defenders, pulled back into service by the Guardian, presided.

"All trainers, please report to the Pokemon Center! No one may leave the town until they are IDed!" Hearing the loudspeaker announcement, Willow rushed to the Pokemon Center along with other trainers, some of whom were waiting to depart. As they filed into the main room, an officer told them to line up next to the counter. Willow was puzzled as each trainer was electronically scanned. When it was her turn, Willow snuck a peek at the computer screen on which the test results were being displayed. To her surprise, not only was an ID number and profile shown, a bioscan looked for heartbeat and breathing patterns, as well as an X-ray!

"Sir, why are we being tested? Has something happened?"

The officer checked her scans, then nodded grimly. "Yes, but don't you worry, young lady. There'll probably be no trouble here; the Guardian is just taking safety precautions. We only want to keep Kanto safe."

When the tests were complete, and everyone had apparently checked out, the squad informed them that all trainers were to stay on paths while traveling, and not wander too far afield. They were also told to report any suspicious activity or unusual occurrences to the nearest Pokemon Center, who would of course forward the information to the Rocket Defender headquarters. Willow was puzzled, but resolved to do as she had been told. She was a guest in Kanto, and would therefore abide by their laws without questioning their purpose. Many trainers, however, looked worried. What could be going on? Willow didn't know, and she didn't want to find out. She decided to get going.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow decided to travel to Mount Moon by a back road, in order to avoid the main traffic of trainers. Unfortunately, she found herself lost for the second time in less than a week! Taking a back road might not have been such a good idea...Willow was worried. She obviously had no head for directions or maps, and all trainers had just been told to stay on main roads! Well, there was no choice now but to look for a path.

"Okay, come on out, everybody. We have to find a path!"

Rafael sniffed the ground. He thought he smelled something, but he didn't know what it was. "Pik! Pikachu!"

Willow and the other Pokemon ran over. "What is it, Rafael? Did you find something?" Willow looked at the ground. It looked liked there was an overgrown path! "Great job, Rafael! Let's get going, everyone!"

Willow and her Pokemon headed down the path. Surely, they would get somewhere soon. High above them, in the treetops, a Noctowl hooted as it soared off toward the Jhoto region. Night was falling; this path had better lead somewhere, and soon!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow was beginning to be worried. The path grew more and more overgrown as she walked, and it showed no sign of leading somewhere. It merely went on and on...her Pokemon, who were still traveling with her to help guide her in the deepening twilight, were nervous too. There was something at the end of this path, and they weren't sure they wanted to know what it was. While her three Pokemon were contemplating this, Willow saw that, just ahead, the path ended entirely, and was replaced by a faint light.

"There must be a clearing up ahead; come on, everyone. We should get moving." Her Pokemon whined softly. They were very frightened, and so was she. "I know you don't want to keep going, but there's no choice! We're lost, and we won't be able to find that path we followed in the dark. We just have to go a little further, and then maybe we can figure out where we are. We have to."

Despite this reassurance, Willow's Pokemon felt a strong sense of foreboding. The four friends slowly moved forward into the clearing.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow had thought that nothing could be worse than the dark, spooky forest they had been traveling in. She was wrong. In front of them was an empty, marshy stretch of ground. It was bereft of life, and was pitted and pockmarked with spots of deep mire and mud. Apparently, it had once been a spring; a faint trickle of filthy water remained, bubbling up from the center of the area, but Willow wouldn't have drunk that sludge if she had been dying of thirst. They quickly realized that the faint light was coming from just beyond the marsh. There, Willow caught a glimpse of a small house. Who would live in a place like this? It was dark and filthy. Not even Pokemon like Grimer and Muk could live here! Willow knew, however, that they had to stay somewhere for the night, and that the house was clearly the only place for miles around. They would have to somehow cross the marsh.

"Smokey, can you carry Rafael and Sleet across if you take them one at a time?"

"Free!"

Smokey lifted Rafael's Pokeball carefully. He carried first it and then Sleet's Pokeball across. "Right! Now I just have to get across myself! I guess I have to swim..."

Willow swallowed hard. She had made Smokey carry her Pokeballs across because she hadn't wanted to lose them in the murky quagmire. Now, however, she was afraid of losing herself! "Well...here goes, I guess..."

Willow stepped forward carefully. The ground compressed slightly beneath her, but she kept moving. She had made it about halfway across when the surface of the marsh, no longer able to hold her up, collapsed. It gave way, and Willow plunged into the marsh, not even having time to scream. Luckily, she kept her head and closed her mouth at once. As the plant growth she had knocked loose forced her further down, Willow knew she didn't have a chance. Towards the bottom of the marsh, everything grew dim. Willow's last thought before she passed out was of her Pokemon. Who would take care of them now?

-o-o-o-o-o-

When Willow woke up, she found herself inside a small, neat house, lying on a cot. Her Pokemon were sitting next to her, and a small, scrawny-looking Horsea was watching her, its blue, finned head poking out of a tank of water next to them. Suddenly, a friendly voice spoke.

"So, you're finally awake! I was worried that you might have swallowed too much marsh water, and had fluid trapped in your lungs. It looks like you'll be all right soon, though. It's a good thing your Pokemon came and got me!"

Willow sat up, shaking her head to clear it. "But...where am I? And how did I get here?"

The owner of the aforementioned voice came into view at that point, brushing off her worn, khaki-colored clothing. A petite lady with short, practical black hair and clear, gray eyes stood before her. A small Dratini curled around her shoulders, its white nose and underbelly concealed in the lady's jacket collar. "I'm Natasha. Your Butterfree came to my house last night, and it showed me where you were. It was lucky for you that your Horsea pulled you out of the swamp; you could have drowned!"

Willow was confused. "But I don't own a Horsea. I thought this one was yours!"

Natasha looked surprised. "I didn't think that any Horsea lived in the swamp; the only Pokemon I ever found there was this Dratini, and it was almost dead from the poisonous water at the time. Horsea must have found its way in on the runoff of a stream or lake during a strong rain. It looks very sickly, but somehow it managed to survive. It's lucky for you that it did! I suppose I have to take care of it now; it might aid my research."

Willow looked up curiously. "Research?"

Natasha smiled. "Many people think it strange, but I've devoted my life to researching this swamp, and the cause of its pollution. A long time ago, this mire was a beautiful lake. It was called Silver Spring, because of the pure, clear water that was continually pumped into the lake from underground rivers. It was said that, on a clear day, you could see right to the bottom of the lake. For some reason, however, the lake became terribly polluted. Even sludge Pokemon like Grimer couldn't stand the waters. From that day forth, it was called Silent Spring, because no creature could live here. It was declared a nature preserve long ago, but now, nothing is here but filth. Pokemon are occasionally drawn in by runoff from streams during bad storms, but most are beyond help by the time I find them. This Dratini was lucky; it recovered well, and now I take care of it. In honor of the lake, I named it Silver. But where this Horsea came from, I can't imagine!"

Willow quietly mulled over the information. "But, Natasha, I thought that Kanto had a very healthy ecosystem. Why is this lake so different?"

Natasha shrugged. "That's exactly what I've been trying to find out. Recently, however, I made an interesting discovery. As I said, the source of the water is an underground stream. Before coming to this lake, however, the watercourse diverts. One stream leads to the sea. The other comes to Silent Spring. Between twenty and thirty years ago, someone diverted the stream leading to Silent Spring through an area of the Viridian Forest. When I tried to visit this area, I found that it was closed to the public. Apparently, some sort of electric generator once existed there. Although the generator has been shut off, the water is still impure. Because the watercourse was blocked off at that time, no pure water can reach here. I looked at the dam nearby, but I couldn't move the dirt built up in front of it. If I did that, maybe the spring would go back to normal."

Willow thought about this. Natasha and her Dratini couldn't break the dam, but maybe she and her Pokemon could! "Natasha, you've helped me and my Pokemon--in fact, you saved my life! We'd love to help you in return. Maybe we can do something about the dam."

Natasha sighed. "I only wish someone could. You see, I asked the residents of a nearby town to help me, but the manager of the power company protested. Apparently, his company profits from the extra source of energy. He didn't care much about a polluted lake, just as long as it didn't pollute his profits."

Willow looked thoughtful. "This town...does it have a gym?"

Natasha shook her head. "The town started life as a place where the dam technicians could monitor the dam. It grew when the spring existed, but this multiplied the need for power. Now, it's only a few houses for the workers. It used to have a gym, though. It was very small, and it wasn't League official, but its members where very loyal. They held the Spring Badge, in honor of the spring where they caught their Pokemon. It was even a contender for a League position. Since the spring fell into disrepair, however, membership dropped off, and most of the trainers left. The Guardian has since declared the gym disbanded. Now, the industries run the town. It isn't even on the map anymore."

Willow stood up. "I think I'll go see this town myself. If it had a gym once, maybe there's a chance it can again; and that chance might just be a chance for the spring, as well!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow set off for the town alone. Natasha had decided to stay behind and try to heal Horsea, since it was in pretty bad shape. Willow wondered why a stream leading into a nature preserve was dammed up. Was that even legal? Willow didn't know it, but it was not. Authorities had never been informed of the manager's decision to keep the stream dammed, and they were not informed of his latest action--to drain the spring! Willow set out for the power company's office building, not knowing any of this. She decided to speak to the manager. Walking into the main building, Willow slipped by the snoozing security guard and headed to the manager's office. When she entered, the manager was understandably startled.

"What? How did you get in here? Children aren't allowed to wander around this building!"

Willow stubbornly held her ground. "Sir, I came to talk to you about Silver Spring. Your power company dammed it. But, if the dam were broken, it would be healthy again! Why won't you break the dam?"

The manager laughed heartily. "What? That old swamp? That place is worthless! In fact, it won't even exist pretty soon. We're gonna drain that place, and we're starting today! So, save your breathe, little girl. You're out of luck!"

Willow gasped. This couldn't be legal! No one was allowed to drain a nature preserve! Willow ran out of the building, followed by the manager's sneering laughter. She immediately called the Pokemon Center, but police officers wouldn't be able to arrive for at least twenty minutes, since the spring was so isolated. Willow knew that it was up to her and Natasha to save Silent Spring now. She ran back the way she had come.

A pair of glum-looking adolescents loitered in the shadows of a building, unnoticed by Willow and having been dismissed by the manager. Watching Willow leave, they looked thoughtful. Hmmm...could someone actually be trying to save Silent Spring? This could get interesting. The two boys raced off in the opposite direction-toward a building formally known as the Spring Gym.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow returned to Natasha's research station, explaining the situation to Natasha as she hurried her off to the dam. "We have to hurry, Natasha. If we can stop the company from draining Silent Spring for just a little longer, maybe we can bring down the dam as well!"

The two hurried to the dam. A group of large machines stood by, with workers ready to turn them on in moments. "Hey, little girl, what are you doin' here?" said one, a scowling, burly man. "We got a job t'do, and it you don't mind, we'd all appreciate it if you'd get out of the way!"

Willow shook her head fiercely. "No! You have no right to destroy Silent Spring! We won't let you! Rafael, Sleet, Smokey--go! Stop those machines, but don't hurt anyone!"

The men scowled. "Two can play at that game!"

Each of them sent out a Pokeball. Soon, Willow faced the pig-monkey Pokemon, Primape, the four-armed muscle Pokemon, Machamp, Fearow, the evolution of Spearow, the sludge Pokemon, Muk, the boulder Pokemon, Golem, and the punching Pokemon, Hitmonchan. Things looked grim, but Willow wasn't willing to give up yet.

"Guys, I know it looks hard, but we have to try! Sleet, you use Snow Storm. Rafael, you use Thundershock. Smokey, you use Sleep Powder! Let's do it!"

Willow's Pokemon fought hard, but the opponents were well-trained and battle experienced. Her Pokemon couldn't handle it anymore. Willow was forced to return them. "Oh, no! What will we do now?"

As the other Pokemon closed in, Willow knew that the situation looked hopeless. "Primape--Rocket Punch!"

Willow closed her eyes. Suddenly, a new voice spoke. "Go! Vaporeon! Use Hydro Pump!"

The Primape was knocked back, and a tall, slim man who looked to be around twenty years old stepped forward. A sleek, blue fox-like creature with a mermaid-like tail and finned mane and ears was beside him. "Okay, Vaporeon! Use Blizzard! Keep it up!"

Willow and Natasha were saved! It was the old gym leader, who had returned to defend the Silent Spring, the place he had gotten his Pokemon. He too battled hard, trying to buy time, but one against six looked bad.

"I could sure use some help, you two!" he said, shaking his light-brown bangs out of his clear, blue eyes.

Willow bit her lip. "My Pokemon already tried to fight them, and they're too tired to battle! What do we do now?"

Natasha stepped forward. "The only thing we can do--keep fighting. Silver, I know I never raised you to battle, but this is your home. Will you fight for me, and for Silent Spring?"

"Tini!"

"Thank you, Silver! Let's battle!" The tiny Dratini didn't look like a match for the powerful team of Pokemon sent out by the opponents, but it looked ready to go down fighting. "Dratini, use your Thunder Wave! Now, use Flamethrower! Finish it off with Body Slam!"

Dratini, with the help of Vaporeon, defeated most of the enemy Pokemon. Finally, only the oldest worker remained, having so far chosen to watch the battle thoughtfully through his muddy-brown eyes. "Well, you sure put up a good fight. But the battle ends here; we got a job ta do. Go! Alakazam!" A humanoid Pokemon of about waist height with a wedge shaped head, mustaches, and thick lower arms and legs appeared.

The experienced, spoon-bearing psychic Pokemon knocked Vaporeon out of the way easily. It turned toward Silver. "Alakazam--Body Slam!"

"Silver, hang in there!" Dratini slammed against the concrete dam. "Oh, no! Silver!"

"Ha. Too late fer that 'un, lady. It's finished."

Willow looked closely at Silver. "Wait--what's happening?"

Silver began to glow. Slowly, it grew larger, its color became slightly darker, and a ball-like appendage appeared at its throat. Silver was evolving! A full-grown Dragonair was more than a match for an Alakazam.

Natasha was amazed. "Silver evolved for me! It knew we had to save the spring, so it kept fighting...Dragonair has the ability to calm the weather and purify the ecosystem. Now that Silver has evolved, Silent Spring will run clean once more..."

At that moment, Nurse Joy finally arrived form the Pokemon Center. "Halt! This is a nature preserve; no one is allowed to dam it or drain it! You had better come with me. Your manager is already at the Center."

Nurse Joy led them into a van. Then, she turned to Willow, Natasha, and the gym leader. "What are you three doing here?"

"I'm Natasha. I live here at the spring, and I've been researching the causes of its pollution. Then reason is clear, Nurse; the dam is at fault! Willow here is a Pokemon trainer. She helped save the spring from being drained. Nurse, the dam should be knocked down!"

Nurse Joy replied, "Well, it certainly isn't lawful for it to be here. I'll report this to the proper authorities. Now that the manager has been arrested, I guess there really is no more town. I suppose you had better pack up and move someplace else."

The gym leader had been silent for some time. Finally, he spoke. "Wait! My name is Nathan. I used to be the gym leader in the town of Silver Spring before the gym disbanded. Nurse Joy, I request that we be reinstated as a town."

The nurse promised to speak to the Guardian when the trouble had been cleared up. After the prisoners were taken away, Natasha handed a Pokeball to Willow.

"This Horsea is fully recovered, and I think it should belong to you. If it saved your life, it must be friendly toward you. Here!"

"Thanks!" Willow put the Pokeball on her belt. "Oh, no! I was heading toward Mount Moon, but I'm probably nowhere near it now! How am I ever going to reach Cerulean City now?"

Nathan smiled. "Actually, this spring is at the foot of Mount Moon. I'll take you there myself." Willow happily agreed to this. Maybe they would get to Cerulean after all! 

Willow stood at the entrance to Mount Moon as Nathan and Natasha waved good-bye to her. "Well, Willow, thanks again for helping us save Silent Spring. Maybe someday, we can change its name back to Silver Spring. If you ever pass this way again, come visit us! I for one would love to battle you when our gym gets into the League--if it does! Good luck on your journey, Willow!"

"Goodbye, Nathan, goodbye, Natasha! I'm glad I helped you save the spring; I got a new Pokemon too! Thanks for everything. See you round!"

With that, Willow was off on her journey once more. Looking down at the Pokeball containing her new Horsea, she whispered to herself, "I think I'll call you...Fins." Willow and her Pokemon were ready for the long trek through Mount Moon. But what would they find inside? 


	5. Cavern Catastrophe!

Chapter 5--Cavern Catastrophe

Willow stopped at the Pokemon Center outside of Mount Moon to purchase a map of the cave's layout, but she was sadly disappointed. "I'm afraid that no map has ever been made of the inside, Willow. Mount Moon is actually much larger in the below-water level caverns beneath the path. Luckily, Mount Moon is sealed off from most water flow, so the caverns are rarely flooded, except during bad storms. I would advise you to follow the path. Some parts of the caverns have lanterns, so don't stray from those. It's usually fairly dim, because the Pokemon inside can't flourish with too much light, so watch your step! I would be careful if I were you; recent reports have said that some areas of the cave floor have been weakened, and could collapse if too many people walk on them. Be careful."

Willow nodded. "All right, Nurse Joy. I'll get going right away."

Nurse Joy shook her head. "There's a storm brewing, a big one if I'm not mistaken. You should wait it out here, in the Pokemon Center. It's the only place you'll be able to heal your Pokemon for some ways."

Willow stubbornly insisted on leaving immediately. "Nurse Joy, I have to hurry! I need to get to Cerulean City as soon as possible."

It may have been unwise, but Willow set off at once. She headed outside, just as furious, iron-gray storm clouds began to roll in... 

Willow shivered. A storm was brewing, and she could tell that it would be a fierce one. Stepping into Mount Moon, she waited patiently for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Once she was ready, Willow headed through the caverns.

At first, the path was well-marked, and Willow hurried forward. Before long, however, the trail split. One fork led to the left, and the other led to the right. So far, every time Willow had tried to follow a path through anywhere, she had gotten lost. In light of this, she decided to ask her Pokemon for help in choosing. Alas, Willow had forgotten that none of her Pokemon had ever lived underground! They all agreed on the left path. Willow returned them, choosing to follow their decision.

She strode resolutely forward--and quickly found herself in a dark, narrow passageway. "Oh, no! Not again! Every time I go somewhere, I get lost!"

Sadly, this was true. Willow could not, for the life of her, figure out which way would lead her back to the crossroads. In trying to find it, she got herself even more lost! Willow had unknowingly wandered into a very dangerous part of Mount Moon--the below sea level caverns Nurse Joy had spoken of! Not only that, the storm outside was getting worse. Willow might soon find herself surrounded by raging torrents of water. 

"Hmmm...I'm almost certain I can hear water somewhere, but how can that be? I thought that Nurse Joy said Mount Moon was sealed off from most water sources..." Willow stepped forward through the darkness toward the source of the sound--and into an oasis of light!

An underground river ran through the cavern At that moment, Willow was aware of another sound. A thin, frightened wail came from the river. Willow saw a faint splash as a Pokemon vanished below the surface. Without thinking, Willow plunged in after it. She grabbed hold of the drowning Pokemon--and was drawn into the surprisingly fast-moving water herself! Willow resisted the urge to scream--opening her mouth would be a mistake. Instead, she made certain that her Pokeballs were secure and held her breathe.

Luckily for her, the water carried her into another cavern, as opposed to deep underground, where she would surely have drowned. Willow lay still for a moment, then rolled over and coughed up water. She looked around in amazement. A small, weird cavern lay before her. A pool of water at the center of the cave burbled with the force of the underground river flowing below. Plants that never saw the sun flourished in the luminescent glow of an odd rock in the center of the cavern.

"Wow! I think that's a meteor! But how did it ever get inside this cavern?" Beside her, the rescued Pokemon was waking up.

"Saur..."

It was a Bulbasaur! Willow whipped out her Pokedex in an attempt to find out more information about it, but all it did was spark for a moment, then fizzle out. "The water must have damaged it. Hmm..I still don't think that Bulbasaur looks normal. Its skin is so pale...almost white-green. And its eyes are blue-green! I wonder how it got underground? It must have been living down here for years, until one day, it fell into that river...it's a lucky thing I happened to come by! So, how do you feel, Bulbasaur?"

"Saur...bulbasuar!"

"It looks like you'll be okay. Now, where in the world are we?" Willow felt something grab her Pokeball belt. "Hey--give that back!"

In amazement, the tiny Clefairy who had grabbed it stepped back. Then, seemingly as an afterthought, it dropped the belt. Willow reaffixed it to her waist, then looked at the colony of Clefairy who had surrounded her. "Do you all live down here? Maybe you brought the meteor to this cavern after people bothered you on the upper floors..."

Willow thought about this. She had to get back to the upper floors, but she certainly couldn't go back the way she came! Only the Clefairy would know the way out. "Clefairy? I'm sorry I disturbed you, but I need to get out of here. Do you know the way?"

"Fairy fairy!"

The Clefairy seemed friendly enough. Willow got the impression that they didn't come here very often. Perhaps it was a ritual of some sort. They led her through a number of cramped tunnels, and finally, she came to a wider hall. Here too the water ran across the cavern.

"The whole place must be connected by underground streams," Willow thought. She struggled to remember something someone had told her, that seemed very important, but it was of no use. She could not remember Nurse Joy's words.

The Clefairy danced around her merrily, but Willow could not see the way out. "Where do I go now?" At that moment, something nudged her hand. "Huh?" It was the Bulbasaur! It had followed her and the Clefairy from the other cave. "Do you know the way out, Bulbasaur?"

Bulbasaur nodded and motioned to the ceiling with one of its vines. "Oh! If we could somehow break through the ceiling, we could get out of here? I suppose the Clefairy must have some other way, though..." She looked around, and noticed a tiny passageway. "I'll never fit through that! I guess the ceiling is the only way. Go! Fins! Use your tackle!"

Fins tackled, but nothing happened.

"There's no getting out that way, I guess. Maybe I can somehow widen the passage used by the Clefairy." Willow and her Pokemon endeavored to do this. After about an hour, she had made no great impact on the tunnel. The Clefairy looked questioningly at her, but made no move to help.

"Maybe there is no way out of here...I think I'm stuck!" Bulbasaur, mean while, had been sitting unnoticed but the underground river. Suddenly he began to tug Willow's sleeve. "What is it, Bulbasaur?"

Willow turned to the stream--and saw that it had swelled! Suddenly, she remembered what Nurse Joy had told her. "These tunnels will flood if the storm gets bad enough! We have to get out of here!"

The Clefairy looked up in alarm. They fled through the small tunnel. Willow looked at the stream. If it continued to rise, they could be drowned. Suddenly, Willow had an idea. "This cavern can't be too far below the surface--maybe if we pound on the ceiling enough, someone will hear us!"

Willow knew that they had, at best, an hour or so. By that time, the water would rise enough to drown them. "Come on, Bulbasaur! We have to pound that ceiling!" Willow and her Pokemon proceeded to do so, with help from Bulbasaur. It was a race against time, and time was running out. 

Willow didn't know it, but the storm outside was a record breaker. Nurse Joy had telephoned a rescue squad, and they were evacuating Mount Moon. Nurse Joy looked at her list of trainers who she knew had gone into Mount Moon. "We're missing a few! They must have gotten lost!"

In fact, Willow was in luck. She was not done for yet, and while Bulbasaur was with her, she was not lost. Willow looked away from the ceiling at Bulbasaur's distressed cries. She saw that the rapidly rising river, before flooding her cavern, had gone through what was apparently the Clefairy's safe area.

Willow, hearing the shrieks of the fairy Pokemon, immediately leaped into the stream once more and battled the current until she was thrown into the other cavern. Bulbasaur followed her. Willow stood up, already knee-deep in water. She realized that the Clefairy could drown if she didn't do something!

Willow looked around, and saw a cracked and decayed ceiling. "The Clefairy must have weakened it by tunneling in this area so that they can pass through the caverns! Go! Fins! Use Slam attack!"

Willow returned Fins after he broke a sizable hole in the ceiling. Willow shouldered the Bulbasaur up into the tunnel above, then held out each Clefairy, one by one, to be lifted to safety. Finally, Willow herself was carried upwards--just as the cavern was filled with the raging water!

"Fairy! Fairy fairy!" The Clefairy ran off to safer havens, while Willow and the Bulbasaur sat on the edge of the hole in exhaustion. After a while, they moved away, knowing that the water could still rise. She didn't know how right she was! Willow was not the only missing trainer; two others were trapped in another section of the caverns. No one knew where they were; who would save them now, as the water continued to rise? 

Willow left the cavern, with Bulbasaur still tagging along. Nurse Joy raced over and checked her name off of the missing list. "Officer, we're still missing two! They may drown! The ends of the cavern are the most likely to be hit...the Pokemon inside know that, and they'll take cover, but most trainers don't!"

Willow, soaking wet, said, "People are still missing?"

Nurse Joy nodded sadly. "That's right. This storm is the worst in years, and I'm afraid those trainers don't have much chance of survival. Most people believe that the tunnel portions of the caverns are the most water-unsafe, but that isn't true. A couple of caverns lower down look safe, but are very likely to flood. That's why most Pokemon burrow in the tunnel walls!"

Willow looked back at Mount Moon through the rain. She had to go back! As Willow ran off towards the caverns, Nurse Joy called, "Wait! It isn't safe! You could drown, Willow; come back!" It was of no avail. Willow dashed back into Mount Moon to save the other two trainers, who were very much in need of rescuing. 

Deep in Mount Moon, David and Stacy finally came to a tall cavern. "We should be safe in here; the water won't rise THIS high, will it?"

"I hope not..."

The two had actually entered the most dangerous area. It was very close to Mount Moon's exit, but the water had risen enough that they couldn't get out. No search party would ever reach them; at this point, Willow was the only one looking. 

"Go! Rafael! Try to find the others trainers by smell. Listen for them too! You help, Sleet!"

Willow's Pokemon quickly led her toward the exit of Mount Moon. Mount Moon was actually a very short trip, for most trainers. Its underground caverns were much longer than the trainer paths. Willow ran along slick pathways, noticing that many side caverns were filling with water. Hopefully, the two trainers were in one of the upper galleries.

Willow soon found the path they had taken, and leaped down a small ledge to reach it. She realized that there could be no return in that direction. Willow heard voices up ahead. Returning Rafael, she ran forward.

"Hello? Listen, we have to get out of here! This cavern will flood very quickly! Come on!"

David and Stacy followed without argument. They all ran for the exit. It was a race against time; slipping and sliding on the ever-wetter floor, they began the climb upwards just in time.

Walking at a slightly more relaxed but never the less rapid pace, the three trainers saw daylight at last. They stood outside Mount Moon, panting--and saw that they had come all the way through the mountain! Willow was happy. She had finally reached the other side of Mount Moon. Suddenly, she remembered the Bulbasaur that had helped her so much in Mount Moon. Happily, it too had escaped, having followed her all the way through Mount Moon.

"I guess you want to come with me, huh? Thanks, Bulbasaur! You came from Mount Moon, so I'll call you Lunus. Stacy, David, I'm sure that you're heading to the Pokemon League too, so good luck!"

Stacy smiled. "Good luck yourself, Willow. You saved our lives, and David and I are very grateful. I'm sure you'll make it to the Pokemon League!" Willow had found some new friends under the most unlikely circumstances, and as they parted ways, she knew that she would never forget them. 


	6. Into the Unknown Dungeon

Chapter 6-- Into the Unknown Dungeon 

Willow and her Pokemon rested outside Mount Moon after their adventure within. They walked slowly toward Cerulean City, looking for any new Pokemon along the way. In the late afternoon, Willow reached a slow-moving stream near Cerulean. She let her Pokemon out to play in the water. The stream looked calm and shallow enough. It should have been perfectly safe. But, as in the old saying, still waters run deep. Willow didn't know it, but she was standing outside the stream leading into a highly dangerous and highly off-limits cavern--the Unknown Dungeon!

After a few minutes, Willow returned her Pokemon. It was getting late, and she had to head on. As she walked along the bank, Willow's foot slipped on a patch of mud. She plunged into the icy water--and was quickly sucked under by a ferocious current!

Before she knew it, Willow was kneeling on the banks of yet another underground stream. Willow groaned. No matter how careful she was, she always seemed to get lost! Willow knew that she would never be able to leave the way she entered. She began to look for another entrance. As usual, she became hopelessly lost. Of course, she didn't know where she was to begin with, so she didn't realize this at first.

Soon, however, she tried to get back to the area she started her journey from. At this point, she discovered that she was lost in a veritable maze of tunnels. This time, she knew that there might not be a way out. Willow shivered. The cavern was cold and unfriendly. Water dripped slowly from some unseen stalactite. The slow, steady sound gave the illusion that time had stopped, and Willow was trapped in an eternal dark silence of fear and hidden malice...the eerie sensation that someone or something was watching her, and growing increasingly enraged by her presence, was unsettling.

Willow coughed loudly to bring herself back to reality. The echoes bounced off the walls, reverberating with such magnitude that the sound, warped by the twists and turns of the caverns, sounded like mocking laughter in Willow's frightened mind. She shrank back, trembling with fear and fatigue.

Willow wondered what time it was, and if anyone would ever realize that she was missing. She was also beginning to feel hungry, cold, and tired. Being soaking wet didn't help matters. Willow continued walking. She was in a rougher cavern, so she knew that it must have been naturally craved out of the rock by water, not made by humans or Pokemon. Suddenly, she heard a noise. Something was creeping up behind her. Willow spun around...looking into the shadowy passage behind her, she screamed.

Willow found herself facing a furious, wild-eyed Dodrio! She whipped out her Pokedex--only to remember that it was broken. The wires sparked slightly. This seemed to madden the irate Pokemon even further! Willow had no way of knowing that this was no ordinary wild Pokemon. This was a feral Pokemon; it had no ability to reason or cooperate with others, and was highly territorial. Feral Pokemon wouldn't even listen to the Guardian.

Alas, Willow thought it was an ordinary wild Pokemon! "Go! Rafael! Use Thundershock!" Rafael tried to do this, but was slammed backwards by the Dodrio before he could move a muscle. "Rafael, return! I'm sorry...I thought you could beat it..."

Willow realized that she had no hope of defeating this dangerous Pokemon. She ran for her life, just as a powerful Drill Peck shattered the floor she had been standing on. Willow ran as hard as she could, but the Dodrio was still catching up! It was faster and stronger than Willow, and being feral had not affected its ability to make decisions. She would never outrun it; she would have to outthink it!

Willow glanced quickly at the tunnel walls. Finally, she saw what she was looking for. A small space, too small for Dodrio to fit inside, branched off the main passageway. Willow ducked inside. Crouching down, she saw that it was longer than she had thought. It was actually a small tunnel itself. Realizing that it was too dangerous to go back into the main passage, she followed it. Willow knew that these wild Pokemon were far too powerful for her. She had to escape--and fast!

Crawling down the tunnel, Willow finally reached a wider area. She stood up stiffly. Looking at the walls, she saw that they were smooth, and cut from blocks of stone. Looking closer, she saw that she was inside some kind of citadel! It was clearly ancient.

Willow had actually left the Unknown Dungeon at this point. She was inside a never-before explored area, accessible only by the passageway she had found by chance. The walls were covered with ancient carvings. Willow's Pokemon (except for Rafael) came out of their Pokeballs to look around.

Willow looked closely at the walls. They seemed to have some kind of ancient writing on them, but even as she looked, Willow realized that she could read the letters. She knew this was impossible; they were not written in English, and they had not changed in appearance. Somehow, she knew what they meant!

Willow looked at the top panel. "The Citadel of the Moon. That must be the name of this place! Hmm...this drawing looks like some kind of animal...it looks a little bit like Mew, but the face and tail are wrong. The color is off too. It's almost like a cat... Who could have made these pictures? And why can I read the writing?"

Willow heard a sound behind her. She turned slowly around...and nothing was there! She heard what sounded like a laugh. "All right, come out, whatever you are! Show yourself!"

With that, a small, pale-blue Pokemon appeared before her. Looking at the drawing, Willow realized that the creature on the wall was very similar to this one. Glancing back at the blue Pokemon in front of her, she mused that this one looked more like Mew than the ancient picture. "Hello...who are you? What are you? And where am I?

_You are in the Citadel of the Moon. It says so on the wall. This temple was built by a very ancient people. In fact, today they are called the Ancient Civilization. Their main settlement is in the Wastelands near the Machine City, and surrounding the hidden Lake League, but they also built this temple. There is another like it in the Viridian Forest. _

_You probably think that I look a lot like that Pokemon on the wall. I have similar DNA to that Pokemon, but I am a hybrid. Researchers in your home--Winter Isle--tried to cross a remnant of DNA from this Pokemon with genetic information from a Mew embryo. The result--me! I'm not as strong as that creature, and I'm too young to be very powerful. _

_There were lots of Pokemon there, but we weren't treated well. A boy named Thomas saved us, with help from Matt. Since then, I've wandered around. I don't think anyone knows about me, not even the Guardian; most of the scientists who created me escaped custody, and later died in a storm at sea. They called me Mew3, but that's not my name! I'm Katsu! _

_There's an important thing inside this Citadel; go get it! It's all right--it's only an old Pokeball. It's empty, and you don't have an extra for me. Go on, go get it!_

Willow blinked. This creature was obviously very talkative! "Your Pokeball? Am I taking you with me, then?

Katsu nodded. _Of course! I don't want to stay in this Citadel forever! I want to come with you! Go get my Pokeball!_

Willow smiled. She walked down the dusty hall. The Citadel was filled with dim sunlight, but the effect wasn't frightening at all. Instead, it gave the place an old, tired, friendly look. Willow picked up the blue-white Pokeball lying on a pedestal in the center of the temple. Beside it lay a pure-white stone.

_You can take that too. I think it's a Moonstone, but it might be something else. I've never really seen one up close._

Willow picked it up. It was warm to the touch. She clipped the beautiful, ancient Pokeball to her belt. "Katsu? Why is this place called the Citadel of the Moon?"

_I think it's because the moon shines straight through that window in the roof on nights of the full moon. There's another connection too; moon Pokemon can evolve with the stone you picked up from the pedestal. That's why I think it's a Moonstone. _

_We should leave. This Citadel was very large once, but most has collapsed from erosion. This chamber was never damaged, though; it might have something to do with the Stone._

Willow and her Pokemon left the temple together. As soon as they were outside, the entire structure collapsed. Its purpose was fulfilled; Willow, a trainer with a Pokemon descended from a great Moon Lord of old, had taken the Stone of the Citadel.


	7. Willow vs Misty

Chapter 7--Willow vs. Misty

Willow yawned. It was very late, and she still hadn't reached Cerulean City. Where could it be? Just as she said that, Willow walked straight into a road sign.

"Cerulean Cape--the Lighthouse of Cerulean City. That must mean we're really close!" Willow hurried across a short bridge and into the Pokemon Center. There would be time to look at the lighthouse, and face the Gym Leader, tomorrow...after she got some sleep.

Willow lay down on her bed in the Pokemon Center. Long after she was fast asleep, Lunus stayed by the window, watching the moon. He sighed. Tomorrow would be a long day, and Willow would surely need him against the Gym Leader's powerful water-types. He too finally fell asleep in a pool of soft moonlight.

Willow sat up and stretched. After a night's rest, she was ready to face a Pokemon battle in Cerulean Gym! She hurried next door, but as she walked toward the Gym door, she tripped!

Looking down, Willow saw a wide, perfectly circular hole in the ground. She couldn't imagine what might have made it. She shrugged, then looked up. The thing she had tripped over was actually a sleeping person, sprawled across the doorstep of the Gym.

"Excuse me, but could you please move? I'm here for a Pokemon battle." The man continued to sleep. He seemed very young, but his age was impossible to guess. Willow shook him. "Sir, I need to get by!" Still, he slept on.

"Rafael, go! Wake that man up, but don't hurt him."

Rafael looked questioningly at Willow, but did as she asked. "Chu!"

The man's eyes opened. He yawned slowly. Looking at Willow, he said in a kind but sleepy voice, "Oh, hello." His eyes began to close again.

Willow sighed. "Sir, I need to get by! Will you please move?"

Without opening his eyes, he spoke again. "When you battle Misty, be careful. She has a Pokemon that can absorb electrical currents, and the platforms may not support heavier Pokemon. Believe in yourself, Willow, and you'll do fine." As Willow walked into the Gym, she wondered how the man knew her name.

Willow stepped forward. The Gym was enormous! The walls were lined with tanks full of water Pokemon. Misty must have lots of powerful Pokemon if she had captured all of these...Willow finally reached the Pokemon Battle Arena. To her surprise, it was a giant swimming pool!

"Oh, no! Water Pokemon have the advantage in this gym. It looks like I won't be able to use Lunus after all..."

Misty stood up on the far trainer platform. "I see you like my Gym. You're right: water Pokemon have the advantage here. There are platforms floating on the water for other types of Pokemon, but I've got a feeling that it's not going to matter. We can use three Pokemon each. Are you ready?"

Willow nodded, and Misty took out a Pokeball. "Go! Staryu!" Willow thought for a moment. Lunus wouldn't have enough room to move on the platform, but Rafael might be light enough... "Go! Rafael!"

"Pika!" Rafael balanced carefully on the platform.

"Hah! You think your electricity will fry my Staryu? You're wrong!"

Willow frowned. What could Misty mean? "Rafael, use your Thundershock!" Bolts of electricity shot toward Staryu, but...

"Staryu, dive underwater!" The electricity hit the steel sides of the tank. "Okay, Staryu, tackle it from underwater!"

Rafael was almost knocked off the platform! "Rafael, are you all right? We'll have to think of a new strategy!" Willow looked at the arena. As long as Staryu was underwater, there was no way for Rafael to hit it. Unless... "Rafael, put your tail in the water and use Thundershock!"

Rafael's electricity began to flow into the water. Willow smiled. Now they would win for sure! But Misty was too fast. "Staryu, hit Pikachu before it can attack!"

"Rafael, look out!" Rafael hopped backwards. There was no way for Rafael to transfer his electricity into the water as long as Staryu was on guard. If only Rafael could electrocute the water without touching it! Willow stamped her foot. To her surprise, it made a slight ringing sound. She looked down.

Of course! The arena floors and walls were made of steel--and metal conducts electricity too! Willow looked at Misty's shoes. Good, both of them were wearing sneakers. They wouldn't be harmed by the electricity because of the rubber in their shoes.

"Rafael, listen! Lay on the floor! Okay, now use Thundershock again!" Rafael did as Willow asked. The electricity from his cheeks flowed through the platform and into the water. Before long, the outer walls were sparking too.

"Staryu, return! Go...Golduck!" Willow held her breath. If she was right, the Golduck would be shocked the moment it entered the water.

Suddenly, Misty also realized this. "Golduck, stay on the platform! The webbing between your toes is a lot like rubber; as long as you don't touch the water, you should be all right." Sure enough, Misty was correct. Golduck's skin absorbed the electric current in the platform. Unless he somehow got wet, he wouldn't be harmed. "Golduck, water gun! Keep going!"

Golduck shot out a stream of water. Willow, thinking quickly, waited until it had almost reached Rafael. "Rafael, lie flat!" The stream of water missed Rafael and hit the wall, causing electricity to flow through the powerful water gun--straight to Golduck.

"Oh, no! Golduck, return! You may have beat me that time, but this Pokemon might surprise you. Go! Quagsire! Dive into the water!"

Willow gasped. What could Misty be thinking? As Quagsire hit the water, electricity flowed into it. Misty laughed at Willow's surprised expression. "Don't you know that Quagsire has two types? It's half rock-type! I taught my Quagsire to absorb electricity so I could beat electric Pokemon. Your Pikachu wasn't hurt by touching the metal platform before because its body can handle a strong electric current. But now, it's just a big battery for Quagsire to suck all the power out of!"

"No! Rafael, return now! What Pokemon can I use? None of my Pokemon can beat that thing..." Willow looked at the water. All the electricity was gone now. Misty had said that Quagsire was half rock-type. Obviously, it wasn't affected by being in the water, but maybe... "Go! Fins! Use your water gun now!"

Misty smiled. "Quagsire is a water Pokemon. That won't do much damage!"

"What? I thought it was half rock type!"

"True, but Quagsire is resistant to both water and electric attacks. Your Horsea is finished. Quagsire, use Body Slam!"

Fins collapsed. "Fins, return! Now what do I do? Lunus is too heavy for the platform, and Sleet can't beat that thing! Smokey would get shot out of the air by its rock-type moves. I have no Pokemon that can beat that thing..."

Suddenly, a small voice nudged her mind. _What about me? I could do it. Come on, let me try!_

"Well...okay, Katsu..." Mew3 popped out of its Pokeball.

"Huh? What's that thing?"

Willow smiled. "'That thing' is Mew3. Katsu! Use your Psychic attack!"

The battle was over in no time. _See? Didn't I tell you I could do it?_

"Good job, Katsu. I'm proud of you."

Misty shook Willow's hand. "You fought a great battle, Willow. Using your Pikachu like that was really smart. You've earned the Cascade Badge!" Willow smiled. Another badge! Well, they were getting there.

Outside the Gym, the sleeping man smiled. Willow must be special indeed. It's not every trainer that Matt takes an interest in. An elongated, blue-green head resembling an alligator's slowly peeked out of the hole beside him.

"Rain. Rainer, rain rain."

He nodded. "You're right, Rainer. She is a powerful trainer. The question is, how powerful?"


	8. Hydra Point

Chapter 8--Hydra Point

Willow proudly stowed her second badge inside her backpack. Now that she had finally reached Cerulean City and defeated Misty, perhaps she should see the sites. Remembering the lighthouse at Hydra Point, Willow decided to visit it.

She set off up the road. All of her Pokemon except Mew3 had decided to walk for now. Willow looked around as she traveled. There was the river she and her Pokemon had fallen into further upstream! After a few minutes, they reached a crossroad. "Hmm...which way do we go, everyone?"

Katsu popped out of Willow's backpack. _West, of course!_

"I don't know, Katsu. Are you sure?"

_Have I ever steered you wrong?_

"Well...all right..." Willow smiled. Today, she and her Pokemon were perfectly safe. They weren't going to fall into anything, or get lost, or get into trouble. Just a peaceful walk...

Three hours later, Willow realized that not getting lost might be too much to hope for. Wherever they were, it was not Cerulean Cape. "We should have gone east at the crossroad! This road isn't even paved. It looks really old...Katsu, I thought you said you knew where you were going!"

Mew3 looked injured. _Of course I do! Just keep walking, I'm sure you'll find it._

With no other options, Willow and her Pokemon continued on. The path was overgrown, and there weren't any signs of habitation. After about a half-hours walk, it started to rain heavily. "Uh-oh...let's try to find some shelter. We have to hurry; I think the storm is getting worse! Katsu, you got us into this. Which way do we go now?"

_Go north. There's some shelter up ahead, I think._

"Okay, but you better be right this time!" They continued walking. Willow was beginning to get tired. She had been walking all day! "Katsu, I think I see some light up ahead! What is it?"

_It must be Cerulean Cape. See, I told you we'd get there!_

Willow dashed forward. She and her Pokemon stood panting beside a tall lighthouse. Next to it was a keeper's cottage. "Let's go inside. I don't think anyone would mind us taking shelter from the rain."

Slowly, they walked inside. "Katsu, are you sure this is Cerulean Cape? It looks very old..." As she said that, the floor creaked, and then collapsed! Willow and her Pokemon fell through.

Willow coughed. "Are you all right, everyone? Whatever we landed on, it broke our fall. Katsu, this can't be Cerulean Cape! It's too old and dilapidated! Where are we?"

Suddenly, a deep, sepulchral voice echoed around her. It seemed to come from everywhere at once! **_You're right. This isn't Cerulean Cape. You have wandered far, Reve. Alas, you will never wander again. I will make sure of that._**

"What? Who are you? And why do you want us not to leave?"

**_I have waited so long for you to return...you promised, Reve! You promised you would come back, and you never did! You weren't going to, ever! Well, I shall make you keep your promise, Reve! You will be sorry that you lied to me!_**

"Wait a minute! I'm not Reve! I have no idea who you are! Who are you, and what are you talking about?"

**_You can't fool me, Reve. I know you. You promised to return, but you never did. Now you will never leave! I have grown strong in your absence. Behold!_**

Suddenly, the floor above her was covered by something. Willow couldn't see a thing, but a strong wind was blowing. She was knocked backwards. ****

**_ HAHAHAHA! See how YOU like it, Reve!_**

With that, the voice was gone. "Are you all right, everyone? We have to get out of here somehow. I wonder where we are."

Mew3 floated next to her, looking sheepish. _I guess this isn't Cerulean Cape...but whatever that voice was, it wasn't human. It must be a Pokemon or something._

"I agree with you there, but who could Reve be? And why does this creature want her not to leave this place? Well, we'll need some light if we're going to get anywhere. Rafael, use your electricity to light up the room until I can find my flashlight! I hope it wasn't damaged..."

Willow quickly dug her battery-operated lantern flashlight out of her backpack. "I'm sure glad I brought this along! Thanks, Rafael. We must be in some sort of cellar. Let's see what we can find. Everyone, look around!"

Willow and her Pokemon investigated the room. Willow opened the draws of an old desk and sneezed as a cloud of dust blossomed from the dilapidated relic. "Achoo! Smokey, use your gust attack and clean this place up a bit!" Willow's Butterfree soon had the room cleared. Looking back at the desk, Willow saw an old journal. "Look at this, everyone! I wonder what it says..."

_May 14th_

_Today, Papa set out for the mainland to get some supplies. While he's gone, it's my job to take care of the lighthouse. The light must always be kept burning at Hydra Point. Sailors don't often pass by, but the coastline is rocky, and we have a great responsibility in keeping them safe. For generations, our family has done so._

_Reve_

"Reve! This must be her journal! Maybe it will tell us something about that voice..."

_May 18th_

_Papa still hasn't returned. I fear the worst. I keep the lamp burning all the same, but I do not think he will ever come back..._

_June 15th_

_Papa is surely dead by now. I must keep the lamp burning even so, or the sailors will be injured. What will happen if the lamp burns out? I dare not think..._

_June 30th_

_A strange thing happened today. I thought I saw a ship sailing down past, but when I looked again, there was only an old piece of driftwood. It had these markings on it: S.S. Specter. Perhaps it came from a ship of some sort._

_July 7th_

_Strange goings on. There was no wind today, yet all my papers were blown off the table. What could be happening? The light burns still burns, but soon I may leave this place. Ships never pass by. Waiting is pointless. There is no use in clinging to false hope._

_September 13th_

_I have not been able to reach this journal for many weeks. Strange things are happening all around. The ghost ship has returned. The plank has been taken. As I went back into the lighthouse, something was following me. I turned around, and there it was...a ghost. It looked almost like Gengar, but far larger, and far more dangerous. I thought it would kill me, but instead, it did as I told it. I know not why, but it is good. Now all of the ghost Pokemon obey me alone. I am no longer Reve, the lighthouse keeper's daughter; call me the Ghost Tamer!_

_October 12th_

_I must not let the light go out. Specter, the chief ghost, has revealed to me that as long as the light is kept burning, no ghost will be able to leave here without my permission. The light is the source of my power, somehow. I must grow strong enough to absorb the light unto myself, so that I am as it is. Then I will truly be a tamer of ghosts, and a master of spirits. None will be able to defeat me. I will be the master of ghost Pokemon!_

_January 17th_

_This may be my last chance to write. I am becoming like the ghosts...I tried to absorb the lantern's power. I have discovered that it is a lantern of the Spirit World. My father kept it a secret from me, but the reason this lighthouse must be protected is to keep the ghosts from attacking the nearby town. I thought that if I absorbed its power, I would be able to master the ghost Pokemon. Since my experiment, however, I have been unable to leave the lighthouse. The light of the Spirit World has trapped me, as it did the ghosts. I must find a way to leave._

_March 29th_

_I will leave tomorrow. I have found a way to leave, for a time. One of the ghosts must agree to mind the light of the Spirit Lantern, and I am free. _ _I have chosen Specter, the most loyal of the ghost Pokemon. Someday, I will return, and I will leave this place to the ghosts, taking Specter with me. I will return as soon as I can._

"The journal just ends...Reve must not have returned. But she promised to...she wouldn't have broken a promise to her Pokemon like that! The voice we heard must be Specter. He must think that Reve abandoned him! If only we knew what had happened to Reve..."

"Bulba. Bulbasaur. Saur bulbasaur!" "Huh? You know something about ghosts, Lunus?"

_He says that, since someone must be connected to the lantern, Reve might return if Specter was freed, or the lantern destroyed._

"But, this journal is dated almost fifty years ago! Reve could be dead by now for all we know!"

_No. She was becoming like the ghosts. That means that, in absorbing the lantern's power, she prolonged her life-span indefinitely. In fact, if I know anything about ghosts and ghost Pokemon, they can be tied to a particular dimension or place only by connection with a physical object. So even if Reve didn't know it, she could come back here whenever she wanted. In fact, since Specter was able to attack us, he can't be tied to the lantern...I don't see how she could ever have left..._

Willow gasped. "Maybe she didn't! Maybe she's still here! Only she's not a day older, or dead...and the ghosts can't find her, because..."

_The lantern! That's it! Reve tied herself to the lantern, so she couldn't leave this place. She couldn't undo the tie, either. She didn't know that she was becoming a ghost. That's the only "power" the lantern gave her. She must be trapped inside it! _

"Trapped inside a lantern? Are you sure?"

"Pika. Pika pi. Pi pikachu!"

_He says that his old trainer loved ghost Pokemon. He didn't know enough about electric types to use Rafael properly, so he never trained him very well. But, he did learn this: ghosts are invulnerable to normal-type moves because they aren't tied to the physical world. If they ARE, then they're trapped. Haven't you ever heard of Poe-lanterns? Ghosts get stuck in them. Reve must be trapped too! If we could free her, then..._

"Free butterfree. Free!"

"What's that, Smokey?" Are you trying to tell me that we could get out of the basement somehow?"

"Free!"

"You could carry us? Oh, wow! Thanks, Smokey! Lunus, you could help with your vine whip! And Katsu, you could fly up there too, right? Then let's get started! Come on!"

Willow and her Pokemon started trying to move the heavy, flat thing that had been placed on the hole in the ceiling. With help from all her Pokemon, they finally did. Smokey lifted Lunus out, then he used his vine whip to rescue everyone else.

Willow had pocketed Reve's journal already, and looked around eagerly. Unfortunately, all she saw was a dusty old house. In a whisper, she said, "Everyone, you'd better return now. Those ghosts could hurt you. Katsu and Lunus, I'll need your help."

Opening the journal, she looked at a plan of the lighthouse. "Hmm...we should be able to find a stairway to the top floor over...there!" And so began the harrowing climb to the lighthouse's summit.

They had reached a landing when suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared! **_Trying to escape, Reve? I think not!_** With that, Willow was shoved backwards! **_HAHAHAHA! You'll never get out, Reve! Uh-oh...I think that fall may kill you. Bye-bye, Reve! Or maybe you'll just come back as a ghost! HAHAHAHA! _**

Specter disappeared again. Willow screamed. Suddenly, her fall stopped! It was Lunus! He pulled Willow back to the landing with his vines. "Thanks, Lunus! I thought I was a goner for sure. Specter must be insane! He could have killed me..."

Shivering, Willow and her Pokemon continued climbing. They continued climbing. They had to reach the top and save Reve!

Willow and her Pokemon continued climbing until they reached a dead end. "This is impossible! The tower has to keep going up. We know that it's taller than this!"

_It's just an illusion, Willow. The ghosts have made it look like there's a wall here, but really there isn't._

"So why can't I just walk through it? Look!" Willow slapped the wall, and the sound of the impact echoed eerily. "See? How can it not be real?"

_That's just it, Willow. Your senses tell you that it's real, so your mind can't comprehend that it isn't. As long as you believe it's real, you won't go through._

"Okay, so I believe it's an illusion. I still can't get by it!"

_That's because your physical perceptions are stronger than your mental perceptions._

"Huh? Oh, I get it! You mean that my senses are lying to me, so I can't convince my body that it's not true! Well, there's only one way to find out which one's right...wish me luck!"

Willow shut her eyes and whispered, "It's only an illusion. The tower keeps climbing because it's a lighthouse. It's only an illusion." She repeated this several times before throwing herself against the wall. When she didn't feel a sudden stop, she opened her eyes. It was the light of the Spirit World!

Her Pokemon drifted through the wall behind her. _Our sense are sharper than yours_, Mew3 told her smugly, _we knew it wasn't real with our bodies AND our minds!_

Willow smiled and rolled her eyes. "And who was it that thought this was Cerulean Cape again? Now come on. We have to open the lantern, or break it or something. I know! Lunus, use Body Slam!"

Lunus hit the fragile-looking lantern, but nothing happened! "It's very strong. Everyone will have to work together on this! Let's do it!"

Willow released all of her Pokemon, and they got to work bashing the lantern. They were concentrating so hard on that, they didn't see Specter sneaking up behind them.

**_WHAT? YOU CANNOT BREAK THE SPIRIT LANTURN! GET HER!_**

Willow shrieked as she was lifted off her feet by an army of ghosts! Moving slowly backwards, they dangled Willow over the edge of the lighthouse!

**_Still trying to hurt us, Reve? Then I'm afraid that you must die. Now!_**

Willow's Pokemon screamed with her, but they weren't strong enough to stop the ghosts. Willow began to fall. She closed her eyes--and felt herself stop falling!

"_Stop this at once! Ghosts, bring her up here!" _

Willow was set on her feet beside the smashed lantern. Her Pokemon immediately rushed over to make sure she was unharmed. Looking up, Willow saw a bizarre spectacle.

A monstrous ghost floated beside a thin, weary-looking child. Or perhaps not a child; it was impossible to guess her age. She seemed young, yet as old as the hills. She seemed to be made of light, or perhaps of shadows cast only by darkness.

Specter turned uncertainly. **_Reve? How can this be? You left years ago..._**

"_I have been here all along. You were never tied to the Spirit Lantern, Specter. You could have left at any time, but you didn't, because you were waiting for me. I couldn't return because I was trapped. Thank you for waiting, Specter..._"

Reve turned to Willow and her Pokemon. "_Thank you for helping me to escape. I learned, while I was trapped, that it was not the lantern that gave me my powers; instead, it was I that kept the lantern from banishing the ghosts. Now that I am free, I am reunited with my Pokemon...I am grateful to you, Willow._"

"Then...you're not a ghost?"

"_Yet another thing learned while was trapped: my mother was of the Shadow League. I am one of her people. Specter and I belong there; we were never happy here. Now that I am free, we may return together, with all of the ghosts...Willow, we must leave now, but I have not forgotten my manners. Take this in thanks...for all of us..._"

Reve stretched out a ghostly hand. Willow felt a cold, hard object condense in her palm.

"_You and I, we were alike once. Both uncertain of the past. Both ready to determine our own futures. Go well, Willow...have faith in yourself..._"

With that, Reve and the ghosts faded into nothingness. Willow looked at the object in her hand. It was a strange symbol, wrought in metal, and covered in mysterious designs. Mew3 prodded a question into her mind. "I think it means...hope..."


	9. On the Underground Path

Chapter 9-On the Underground Path

Willow and her Pokemon returned to Cerulean City after their amazing--and tiring--experience at Hydra Point. They spent the night at the Pokemon Center. In the morning, they followed the road south of Cerulean, hoping to reach Viridian before nightfall. Little did they know what awaited them on that road!

After about half an hour, Willow reached a small, boarded-up house. "I wonder what this place is..."

Katsu popped out of her backpack. _Oh, that's the Underground Path. It goes all the way to Vermillion. Why don't we go through?_

"Bulba, bulba saur!" Lunus gestured to the sign in front of the house with his vine.

"Hmm...this says that the path is closed, Katsu. Maybe we shouldn't go this way."

_But the door is unlocked!_

"Yes, and the windows are boarded up! This place hasn't been used in a long time."

_Maybe they just reopened it and forgot to take the sign down._

"The last time I listened to your advice, we almost got killed by a bunch of ghosts. I don't want to go through something like that again!"

_One mistake. Anyone can make one mistake. We didn't even get hurt, now did we? Come on, it wouldn't be open unless we were allowed in! It would save lots of time._

"Well...I guess so..."

Rafael shook his head, muttering his own misgivings. _Oh, you be quiet!_

"Pika pi..." (Don't say I didn't warn you...)

Willow shoved the door of the Underground Path open with help from Lunus. She and her Pokemon cautiously walked in. "It's really dark in here...I'm glad I brought my flashlight!" With a "click," a circle of warm, yellow light spread from Willow's tiny flashlight.

Together, they began walking through the tunnel. Their footsteps echoed eerily in the still, dusty air. Before they had gone more than a few yards, Willow's flashlight flickered and died. "Oh, no! The batteries must have run out. We'll have to go back, everyone. We can't go through this long tunnel in the dark!"

Katsu was offended. _It's a straight tunnel! How can we get lost?_

Willow looked doubtful. "Are you sure, Katsu?"

_Positive. Shall we move on?_

"Well...I suppose it couldn't hurt..." Keeping one hand on the wall to keep her direction straight, Willow walked onwards. After several more yards, she slipped and fell as her hand touched empty space. Feeling a draft to her left, she realized that another passage lay in that direction.

"I thought you said this tunnel is straight, Katsu!"

_Well, it must turn here, that's all. Keep going, I'm sure we're on the right track._

"All right. I hope this is the right way..."

_Of course it is! I know where I'm going!_

"If you're sure, Katsu. Come one; I want to get of this dark tunnel as soon as possible." Willow had no idea that the Underground Path was indeed straight. She and her Pokemon had stumbled upon a side-tunnel dug by Pokemon, and they were about to find out why!

After a few minutes, Willow felt the tunnel begin to rise. "We must be almost there!" Walking on, she stumbled on stones, roots, and sliding dirt. Willow was beginning to suspect that it had not been wise to follow Mew3's advice, but before she could suggest this, the tunnel opened up.

Running forward, she and her Pokemon found themselves in a forest glade, utterly lost. At any other time, it might have been pretty. The trees, decked with spring finery, cast a greenish haze over the ground as the sun shone through their leaves. In the forest at the edges of the open, grassy space, she could see the movements of Pokemon. Far ahead, birds swooped, filling the air with their cries.

All this beauty was lost on Willow, who searched frantically for anything that might give her some idea of where she was. "Katsu! I thought you said you knew where we were going!"

_It's not my fault someone dug a hole in the side of the tunnel. I'm sure we just came out at the wrong spot. Let's go back to the tunnel and keep going. We'll reach Vermillion soon. _

Willow nodded, seeing the sense in this idea. "All right, let's go. Come on, everyone. We shouldn't get separated." Backtracking toward the tunnel entrance, Willow unknowingly stepped on the overhang of the entrance, which was little more than a hole in the ground.

Weakened by her and her Pokemon's travel through it, the tunnel began to slide downwards. Suddenly, it collapsed! Lunus quickly lifted Willow clear of the tunnel, which was rapidly reducing itself to a muddy pit.

"Now what do we do? Well never be able to get back through that!"

"Bulba. Bulba, bulbasaur, saur!" Lunus gestured towards the forest with his vines.

"Hmm…I guess we _could_ go farther that way. After all, we don't have anywhere else to go. Come on!" Willow and her Pokemon walked into the forest, not knowing that what they would find there would change the course of their journey.

As they walked through the thickening forest, Willow and her Pokemon began to notice something strange. It was not the deep, eerie silence. It was not the lack of animal life. It was not even the ominous feeling they got or the sorrow that seemed to surround them.

It was the trees!

They were not the straight, proud monoliths of the forest that had stood around them at the edge of the forest. No, these trees were smooth, perfect cylinders that glinted like metal. They were clustered together like eternal sentinels for some unknown thing of such great importance that Willow and her Pokemon could all feel it.

Rafael sneezed. He didn't like this forest; the trees were far too close together, and they didn't smell right. They smelled…like metal. How could that be? His cheeks sparked as he sneezed again, and his ears stood straight up. He was keenly aware of every sound and movement around him, his senses on maximum. Willow looked down in concern.

"What's wrong, Rafael? You're sparking…ouch!"

"Chu…"

Smokey perched nervously on Willow's head, feeling on edge in the creepy forest. Willow's other Pokemon, with the exception of the Pokeball-ed Fins, were similarly uncomfortable. Lunus growled softly, and Sleet walked so close to Willow she nearly tripped. Rafael's sparking got worse and worse as they walked further. Suddenly, Willow realized what was missing: the talkative Katsu was silent.

"Katsu? Are you all right?"

Katsu floated out of Willow's backpack, looking slightly ill. _There's so much energy…it's really, really strong…I'm a psychic-type, so...I don't feel too good…oh, and…the reason we're all kind of…out of sorts…this energy is affecting us…you'd better return Rafael to his Pokeball, this much energy could hurt him since he's an electric type...and if you don't mind…I'm going back in the bag…_

With that, he turned a shaky somersault and plunged into the backpack. Willow returned a much-relieved Rafael, then continued walking. What else could they do?

After they had walked a short ways, Katsu spoke up again, sounding groggy. _Willow…go a little left…the energy…it's coming from there…if you want to see what it is…it's so…powerful...zzzzz……………………………_

Willow, smiling slightly at her now-snoozing Pokemon, turned left as Katsu had suggested. She was curious as to the source of the mysterious energy; since they were lost anyway, they might as well find out what it was.

Some time later, Willow and her Pokemon were still trudging through the forest; by now, the energy was affecting all of them to some extent. The eerie, metallic trees marched on in their neat, close-set rows, and Willow and her Pokemon marched on with them. Following Katsu's sleepy directions for some yards, they finally came upon a strange site.

Up till now, all the trees had been perfect, shapely cylinders. Nothing had been out of place. But there, in front of them, was a fallen tree. The other trees had been metallic; this one was truly metal. Its roots would have scraped the sky had it not been surrounded by other trees, and its vast circumference was impassable. Despite its roots, which should have torn the ground apart when they ripped free of the earth, the ground around and under the tree was as level and smooth as the rest of the forest. Walking over to it, Willow looked around in disappointment.

"Katsu said the energy was coming from here…where could the power source be?" At that moment, the ground gave way, and Willow felt herself falling into darkness.


	10. Arturo

Author's note:  Thank you Jolly Jeff and Hazel-Beka for reviewing!  Yes, it's not a play…actually, I've never read a fanfic that WAS a play, myself.  Thank you for the compliments, Hazel!  I hope you'll like this chapter (and I hope you'll update soon too ^___^). 

Chap. 10—Arturo

                Willow sat up slowly, rubbing her head.  The last thing she remembered was the ground swallowing them up into blackness…then everything was a blur.  Looking around, she saw that her Pokemon had also awoken safely. 

"You'd better return, guys…it could be dangerous."

There was no light coming from above; wherever Willow was, it was pitch black.  After a few moments, however, her eyes adjusted, and she saw that their _was_ light, but it was not coming from the sky.  It was coming from the walls.  They were glowing faintly bluish-green, illuminating the place dimly.  Looking around, Willow saw the a cave-in leading in the direction she and her Pokemon had approached from above ground.  Ahead of her, there was only more darkness, but the tunnel obviously extended farther.  Getting up and dusting herself off, Willow started off down the path.

                Willow walked for what seemed like hours in the eerie, unnatural twilight.  The only sounds were her echoing footsteps and her faint, frightened breathing.  Something about this place was ominous.  Finally, before she could grow too nervous, the tunnel opened up into a chamber, no better lit than the rest of the mysterious underground area.  She could see banks of dead computer equipment, apparently crushed by falling stones at some point.

"Weird…what's all this stuff doing here?"

                Even as she said this, her eyes fell upon the object in the center of the chamber.  It was a large, cylindrical tank, topped by machinery that had cables extending from it, connecting to the _thing_ inside the chamber.

It was a being of metal like none she had ever seen!

                Willow approached slowly, stunned by the awesome sight.  She had no idea what this mysterious someone or something was, but she was definitely curious.  The tank was filled with a gray-green, gel-like material, in which the robotic creature was suspended, with the cables from the top of the tank attached to it.  It had a large, ellipse-shaped torso, its head being slightly raised from the rest of its body, and the torso dashed with faint lines as though the head unit could lift out.  Its arms were thick and cylindrical, the right one having an irised end to open for some type of weapon, the left having a gattling-gun fixture attached from the elbow down.  Its birdlike legs were connected to the torso by rotating joints, and it had back-bending knees.  Its feet were wide, with spread toes that were also birdlike.  Willow was fascinated by the strange being, staring as she pressed her hands to the glass.  A plaque at the base of the tank apparently listed the specimen inside.

"Arturo…"

At this moment, there was an explosion!  Through a gaping hole in the wall came two men wearing brown uniforms with a picture of crossed swords on their backs.  On their sleeves were silver-gray stripes, and in their belts were wicked-looking knives.  From underneath their hoods, they sneered at Willow.

"We'll be taking the Poke-lord now, thank you."

Willow clutched her Pokeballs tightly.  "Never!  My Pokemon stay with me!"

"We don't think so."

From behind the two Team Blade members, another figure came through the hole.  This one, however, was neither human nor Pokemon.  Willow stared in shock at the machine-like apparition that stalked in on spindly, bird-like legs.  Its head was of a super-reflective, silver-blue material. There were no visible eyes; it looked almost like a visor on a helmet.  There was no neck; instead, a long torso shaped like an upside-down triangle was connected to it.  Its left arm had a broad, thick shoulder, with a blade extending partway down the arm.  Underneath were a folded-up manipulator hand and a longer, more human-like hand.  Its other arm was a long shield, underneath which was a thing that looked like a radio-antennae, and an arm ending in a hand with numerous odd fingers.  Moving forward on its narrow, blade-tipped feet, it stood, observing as the two Team Blade members sent out their Pokemon.

The first appeared in a flash of Pokeball light.  It was an ordinary Blastoise, which looked menacingly at Willow.  Then the other Team Blade Pokemon appeared.

It was bizarre!

The Pokemon appeared somewhat like an Electabuzz, but it was more orange than yellow, had spiked, blade-like appendages sprouting from its elbows, and four arms.  Willow was shocked.  What was this Pokemon, and what had these people done to it?  Willow knew that she had no choice but to battle.  Hoping that the mutated Electabuzz still had the characteristics of an electric Pokemon, she called forth Rafael and Katsu.  The battle began!

"Blastoise, use your Hydro Pump!"

"Rafael, dodge and use Thunderbolt!"

Team Blade's Blastoise and Willow's Pikachu continued their deadly game of hide-and-seek while Katsu and the strange, Electabuzz-like Pokemon faced off.

"Katsu, be careful!  We don't know what that thing can do!"

_Don't worry, I can take him._

"Electabuzz, use Slash attack!"  
"What?  Electabuzz can't use Slash!"

But the Pokemon did use its Slash, almost knocking Katsu out of the air.  He retaliated with Psychic, noticing as he did so that he felt more energy in the attack than usual.  _It must be that weird energy again_, he thought.

Meanwhile, Rafael was in trouble.  The Blastoise was incredibly fast, and he was having trouble striking it and dodging at the same time.  His Thunderbolts shot off wildly as he raced away from countless powerful attacks, nearly striking Willow and the Team Blade members.  One of his attacks accidentally struck the computers on the wall next to the tank.

Everyone stopped.

The cavern lit up!  Reacting to the short burst of electricity, all of the machinery turned on.  It hummed and whirred as the wires connecting to the being within the tank released their captive.  The creature's eyes  lit up.

_Where…am I?_

It did not know where It was.  It was aware only that It was finally free.  Striding forwards, not heeding the shattering glass of the tank, It looked around.  It took in the banks of computer equipment and the cavern walls.  It saw Willow, Team Blade, and their Pokemon.  Then Its eyes fell upon the room's last occupant.

The Progenitor Slicer!

The being from the tank stopped in surprise.  Then, It transmitted to the Slicer, requesting data.  The Slicer turned, intrigued by this new twist.  It sent back only one message.

_Kill the girl._

The being looked at Willow more closely.  What It saw stopped It in Its tracks.

Willow had tied a cord around the symbol given to her by Reeve the Ghost Tamer, and now wore it as a necklace.  It had not at first noticed this because of the dim light, but now, seeing this ancient symbol, It was in shock.  It could not harm one allied with the Progenitors!  Alarmed at Its orders, It transmitted to the Slicer again.

_Cannot comply.  The girl wears a Progenitor symbol._

The Slicer turned, annoyed.  If the new arrival could not work to its advantage, then It would have to be eliminated.  Cocking back its left arm, it sent out a blast of blue light from the shock cannon concealed beneath the blade there.  Its target fell back and lay motionless.  That was better, thought the Slicer.  Now back to business.

                Willow wasn't sure what was going on, but her Pokemon were no match for the power of their opponents.  She quickly returned Rafael and Katsu, sending out Lunus first.  Before she could send out another Pokemon, however, the Slicer turned.  Here was its true target—the decedent of a Poke-lord.  It sped toward Lunus.  Willow, knowing she could not recall her Pokemon in time, screamed.

                The being from the tank, still confused by Its orders and the attack by Its ally, knew only one thing now.

It must protect the one allied with Its creators.               

                It rose from the ground, unfazed by the shock cannon's blast.  Turning toward the Slicer, It swung Its massive right arm.  Not knowing any of Its capabilities, It struck out the only way It knew how.

The Slicer was knocked back by a blow from Its club-like arm!

A new battle ensued, one of Progenitor creation vs. Progenitor creation.  The Slicer opened up with everything it had, but still the being kept coming.  Nothing could stop this ancient juggernaut as It struck repeatedly.  Finally, the Slicer fled, knowing it was outmatched.  The two Team Blade members, seeing their secret weapon defeated, fled as well, taking their Pokemon with them.  Returning her own Pokemon, Willow turned toward the being that had saved her.

"Thank you," she said.  "Who are you?"

It turned toward her, confused.

"I am…Arturo?"


	11. Mission

Author's note:  I'm sorry this chapter took so long!  Not much action in this one, but it's important for plot set-up.  ^___^  Thank you to everyone who reviewed!  Wow, a lot of people started reading--you've all really made my day, actually days.  Thank you NoZoMi aNd HoTaRu, Maia's Pen, and Hazel-Beka!

Chap. 11-Mission

                Willow and the strange being faced each other silently, Arturo because he was waiting for a command from his master, Willow because she was petrified half with shock and half with fear.  Katsu, however, couldn't resist taking a closer look at the interesting new thing in front of him.  Floating over, he began poking and pulling at the thing.

Still it did not move.

                Katsu's psychic power allowed him to see several seams on the creature, not visible to the naked eye.  Again using his power, he began pulling at the one on the thing's back, trying to open it up.

Arturo was growing agitated by the creature on his back's activities.  He reached up to remove it.

                Willow, thinking her beloved Pokemon was in danger, reached out her hand, shouting although she had no clear idea what good it might do.

"Stop--don't hurt Katsu!"

Arturo heard a command from his master and immediately put his arms down again.  Willow paused, not comprehending what she had just seen.

"You...you did what I said?"

Arturo nodded.

"You can understand me?"

Arturo, having heard enough of his master's speech to grasp the diction and identify the language, decided to employ it himself.

"Yes, master.  I can understand you."

His voice was slightly robotic, and there were tiny pauses between his words, as if he was unused to speaking.  Willow took a small step backward, uncertain before this strange, powerful being.

"Did you call me...master?"

"Yes, master."

"....why?"

Arturo was puzzled.  It had been so obvious to him...she was a master--she wore the symbol of his masters, so she was logically one of them.  How could she not understand?

"Did you not activate me to serve you?"

"...huh?"

"You did not activate me?"

"You...didn't turn on by yourself?"

"...no..."

"So...if you were activated...you're a robot, right?"

Arturo was translating Willow's words, so he was uncertain of what she meant.

"I am...a construct."

This was very confusing to Willow.

"A _what_?"

Lunus had some idea what this was, and said so.

"Bulba--saur bulbasaur!"

"Katsu?"

_... huh?  Oh, right!  Lunus says that a construct is something that's built--in this case, a powerful thing built by really old people._

"BubalSAUR!"

_Uh...Lunus says that should be _ancient_ people, not old people...heh._

"Oh...well, I guess that makes sense..."

All this made Arturo was even more puzzled.  Willow, however, decided to leave aside for now the question of where Arturo came from or what he was for now and ask what was really on her mind.

"What was that thing that attacked us, and why was it trying to hurt us?"

"The Slicer sent me new data.  It commanded me to destroy you...when I saw that you wore a Progenitor symbol, I knew that it must have been altered by its new masters, this "Team Blade."  They were trying to..."

As Arturo continued to explain, Willow suddenly thought of something herself.

"Those people were Team Blade...and that machine was the Slicer...but how did you get turned on?  ...wait!  During the battle...all the electricity!  Rafael struck those computers, and that must have turned you on!  They're all burned out now, though..."  
"...trying to capture a creature known as a "Pokemon".....a "grass-moon" type.  They apparently need many of these creatures, specifically those from...pure bloodlines?  I do not fully understand...more data is required to reach a conclusion."

"They were trying to capture...Lunus?  He's a pure bloodline?  I don't understand...did you say they want to do this to other Pokemon too?"

"Yes--Pokemon descended from...lords?"

"Pokemon Lords?  Maybe...ancient Pokemon!  From the days of the Ancient Civilization!"

"....explain."

"The Ancient Civilization was a civilization that existed a very, very long time ago.  My aunt travels a lot, and she told me that they were very advanced, and they built a city that's in the middle of the Burning Wastes.  That's the wasteland that Lucifer created when he attacked with nuclear weapons.  It was really terrible, because they're banned."

"Lucifer?  You speak of an evil being...named Lucifer?"

Willow nodded.  Although different snippets of history might be taught, depending on the region one lived in, most of the Pokemon World did teach of the Ancient Civilization (or at least what they knew about it) and about the Dexes and the Guardian.

"Yes--Lucifer was one of the Dexes, but he was evil, and he attacked people and even tried to kill the Guardian.  He's gone now, though...I don't know very much about him.  I still don't really know who you are, but...thank you.  We couldn't have beaten that machine--the Slicer?--without you."

Willow turned to her Pokemon, who had by now all left their Pokeballs to find out more about the new arrival.

"Guys...I know we were going to compete in the League, but this seems way more important--lives are at stake, and no one knows it but us!  If we take the time to go for help, those Team Blade people may already have hurt someone else.  I think we should stop them...do you think that's a good idea?"

All of Willow's Pokemon nodded together.  They knew that this was up to them.

Arturo shifted slightly.  If this child was to go off on a journey, he would have to accompany and protect her.  She wore the symbol of the Progenitors...it was his duty.

"I will go with you, master."

Willow turned around, looking very surprised.

"What?  But...why would you do that?"

"You wear the symbol of my masters.  Therefore, I must protect you."

Willow touched the metal emblem hanging around her neck.  In all the excitement, she had nearly forgotten that she was wearing it.

"Reve's gift...the sign of hope..."

She smiled.  Suddenly, even though her new mission seemed almost impossible, she felt confident; it was a new emotion for her.  She looked at the large machine--no, _construct_--standing next to her.  Remembering his earlier words, she called him by his name.

"Arturo, thank you very much...but I'm not your master--my name is Willow."

"All right, Willow."

Katsu floated over and flopped down on Arturo's head.

_Yay__, his head is way comfier than your backpack!_

"Will this creature be remaining on my cranial area?"

Willow and her Pokemon all stared at him.  Arturo paused for a moment, then tried again.

"Is this thing gonna stay on my head?"

"Oh, not if you don't want him to...hey--you talked normal!"

Arturo nodded.

"Yes.  I am able to synthesize your speech patterns and learn how to utilize them myself.  I hope that I did so correctly?"

Willow and her Pokemon burst out laughing at the idea of this powerful being seeking their approval about his use of slang.  Arturo, although he did not entirely understand the joke, laughed too--"Ha Ha Ha."  Willow and her Pokemon laughed even more at this, and so did Arturo, culminating in Katsu falling from the construct's head and barely catching himself before hitting the floor.

_Okay, I think I'll stick with the backpack._

                Once Willow and her Pokemon regained control of themselves, they all looked up at the ceiling.  The hole they had fallen through was so high...how could they ever get back up there?  Arturo had the solution.

"Willow, I can reach ground level.  Hold onto me."

Willow returned her Pokemon and did so.  Arturo jumped with immense power, boosting them upwards through the ceiling and landing them safely it the forest.  Willow smiled and looked ahead.

"Come on, everyone--let's catch up to Team Blade!"


	12. Ghost Town

Author's note: very sorry for the long wait! ;;; Don't worry—the next chapter is in planning already, so it shouldn't take as long to write. Thank you Maia's Pen and Hazel-Becka for reviewing, and thank you Robin Ryan and Kath for telling me to update until I finally did. Here's the chapter, hope you all like it!

Chap. 12—Ghost Town

Willow and her Pokemon, along with their new companion, the mysterious Arturo, were trailing Team Blade. They had long left the oppressive forest, and were now trekking through more sunlit, open woods. Willow felt slightly uncomfortable, walking through the forest with an immense creature behind her making almost no sound. Several times, she turned back to see if Arturo was still following her.

Arturo could trace the Slicer's movements, and it seemed to be heading northward. Willow didn't know where it was going or what Team Blade was after, but she intended to find out and stop them.

"Arturo said that that thing—the Slicer—told him that Team Blade is looking for Pokemon from pure bloodlines...what could that mean?" Willow asked softly.

Plodding along beside her, Lunus looked up. "Saur, bulbasaur. Bulba saur saur!"

_He says it means Pokemon Lords_, Katsu put in, floating over and perching on Willow's head. Shifting, he made himself comfortable, making sure not to pull her silky hair.

"But what _is_ a Pokemon Lord, Katsu?" Willow asked, taking the Mew3 off her head and putting him on her shoulder. "I knew what some of the things Arturo told us about were, but I don't think I've heard of this one."

_Maybe it's Pokemon who are in charge of things_, Katsu suggested. _Lord is a leader...Pokemon Lord...that makes sense._

Lunus shook his head, muttering about Pokemon who couldn't admit when they didn't know something. "Saur bulba saur. BulbaSAUR!"

_I will not be quiet! It's not like _you_ know the answer either!_

"Saur."

_Oh_, Katsu said quietly. He got his voice back after a moment, however. _Well it's good to try to figure things out!_

Willow smiled, poking Katsu. "Don't fight, guys. Lunus, do you know about Pokemon Lords?"

Lunus nodded. "Bulba saur, saur bulba saur. Bulbasaur saur."

_He says Pokemon Lords are Pokemon descended directly from very ancient Pokemon. He says he's not completely sure, but he thinks that they kind of rule groups of Pokemon, like human rulers I guess._

Willow nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm...what would Team Blade want with Pokemon Lords?"

Suddenly, Arturo stopped. It took Willow and her Pokemon to realize this, and they turned and walked back to him. "What is it, Arturo?"

Arturo looked around. "...the Slicer is close. It has stopped moving...it is probable that it has reached its destination."  
  
Willow was at a loss. "What's around here that Team Blade would want?"

"I do not know," Arturo said simply. "I apologize," he added.

"Don't worry—I'm sure we'll find out soon. Come on, guys!"

Willow and her Pokemon set off again, energy renewed by the knowledge that they would soon reach their goal, and find out what Team Blade was up to.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose crouched impatiently in the shadows of a dilapidated building, covered in cobwebs and filth. This job was taking far too long for her taste; the sooner they left this place, the better. She looked up the dirt road that was the main street, shivering slightly. In the shadows of other buildings crouched her comrades, also waiting, also impatient to be gone.

She glanced about, taking in the small, decaying town they were currently stationed in. Every building was obviously abandoned. The windows were traced with spidery cracks; some were broken or missing entirely. The gaps in the walls, although boarded, still made an eerie whistling as the wind swept past, swaying doors half off their hinges.

The dirt path was rough, uneven in places, and so old that their feet hardly rose dust from it. Even so, her clothes were covered with a fine layer of light brown dirt; her hair had been turned several shades lighter by the fine silt falling from the window she crouched under.

Oh well. It would be over soon enough, and she could get out of here. There would be time for a shower and a change of clothes then. In the meantime, she would wait. Rose finally gave in to the ache in her knees, sitting on the ground and setting her small handgun down beside her. Brushing some dust off the tops of her black leather boots, she sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest.

It had been a long wait, and it was only getting longer.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow shivered, looking down the long, dusty street. An eerie fog was rising , obscuring the empty, dilapidated town. Willow's Pokemon were equally ill at ease, having a strange sensation that something awaited them in the town.

"Pikachu..."

Willow returned her Pokemon, not wanting to put them in danger; there was no telling what Team Blade would do, and the more precautions they took, the better. Arturo followed the slim girl calmly. It was here that the Slicer's transmission was coming from, and it was here that they would confront the Progenitor construct. He was on alert, ready for anything.

Willow walked cautiously along the street, looking around her at the ancient-looking buildings, their doors hanging from their hinges and their windows cracked. A cold wind shrieked past, chilling them to the bone. In daylight, the abandoned town was revealed in all its shabby loneliness, stark and bare compared to the lush forest they had left behind. It was filled with a deafening silence, a silence that came from long isolation. Perhaps it had once been inhabited; now, it was nothing but a ghost town.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose's communicator crackled into life at her belt. Pulling it out, she had it to her ear, the volume as low as possible. "Get ready; they're coming."

Rose put away the communicator and picked up her gun. With the ease of practice, she quickly loaded it and readied it to fire, holding it comfortably in her hand. The cold metal held a promise of death as it rested against her palm.

Flattening herself against the wall in the building's shadow, she glanced down the street. They were coming, and Team Blade would be ready; the new project would not fail. Rose would help make sure of that, even if she had no idea what it was.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Arturo stopped; the Slicer's single was moving. It was coming closer...closer...but suddenly, it veered off. Arturo could not understand it.

"Willow, the Slicer is moving. But...it does not approach us. Is it possible that it has not detected our presence?"

Willow thought about this, focusing with difficulty in this shadowy town that encouraged the dark, buried thoughts of the mind. "Well...maybe it doesn't know we're here, and...it's going somewhere. So...we should follow it...let's go."

Arturo followed her down a side alley as they tracked the Slicer. They didn't know its destination, but they had to find out.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose sighed, feeling very uncomfortable. The group they were waiting in ambush for had turned, and now they had to follow them. Slipping out from behind the building, she followed the other Team Blade members to their new location: the Pokemon Lord's Arena.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The Slicer had stopped.

Willow stood holding her breath in the shadow of a stone wall, looking out into a squared off stretch of brown dirt. The central area was outlined by thin cords, pegged down at each corner of the square. The area outside the central square was marked off in regular rows, and the entire place was covered by a thin black-purple mist that covered Willow's ankles. The area was enclosed by a stone wall, with opens blocked by rusted iron gates at both ends. The setup seemed oddly familiar to Willow, but try as she might, she couldn't place it.

On the other end of the place was the Slicer, surrounded by several Team Blade members. They were holding weapons, and seemed to be waiting for something. Then, there was a faint stirring among the Team Blade members. They shifted, cocking weapons and looking around in eager, nervous anticipation.

Just as Willow was wondering what had prompted this action, she heard a sound behind her. Barely smothering a gasp, she turned fearfully, and her jaw dropped in shock.


	13. Arena

Author's note: Sorry this is late...I've had lots of laptop problems lately, but now they're all fixed and there's a new chapter! Thank you for the review, Hazel-Beka. Sorry to leave the cliffhanger for so long....hope everyone likes this chapter.

Chap. 13--Arena

Willow spun around, stifling a gasp. Out of the building behind her came a group of ghost Pokemon! Ignoring Willow, they moved into the arena to confront Team Blade and the Slicer. Willow saw some ordinary Kanto ghosts, such as Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar, and also some more unusual ones that she didn't recognize; being bodiless, it was hard to distinguish them from each other.

Willow saw that the weapons held by Team Blade didn't look like ordinary guns, but she couldn't figure out what they were. She realized that she knew very little about ghost Pokemon.

_ Why don't you ask Rafael? He knows about ghosts, doesn't he?_

"That's right--he said his old trainer liked ghosts best! Rafael, come out!" Willow whispered, releasing the Pikachu. "So...what do you think of this?"

Rafael hopped onto Willow's shoulder, studying the battle. "Pika...chu, pikachu. Pi pikachu!"

_ He says that the Team Blade people look like they have weapons that are made specially to hit ghost-types. And, he says that these ghosts are very powerful, maybe even more powerful than a trained Pokemon would be. He's never seen anything like some of them._

Willow frowned angrily. "That's not fair--they're going to attack the Pokemon with weapons, not in a fair battle! We have to do something!"

Arturo nodded. "I can stop the Slicer from interfering, Willow. But if you try to attack them, they may harm you with their weapons. You must stay back."

Willow flatly refused to stay back. "No, Arturo. I have to help! Maybe we can damage those weapons or something!"

Before they could argue more, Team Blade made their move. Raising their weapons, they aimed at a rapidly approaching ghost, and fired. The ghost shrieked, blasted backwards as a silvery substance that looked like liquid light flowed from the hole. Willow supposed it must be the ghost-type equivalent of blood.

The other ghosts, seeing their danger, had some success in dodging the blasts, but were unable to strike back. Willow was about to run out and help, but suddenly, something new happened.

Out of nowhere, an enormous ghost Pokemon materialized. It looked almost like an oversized Gengar, but darker colored; its clawed hands floated in front of it like a Haunter's. The Pokemon glared at Team Blade's weapons, and its blood-red eyes glowed in the shadowy stadium. The weapons shattered.

Willow stared at it, mouth open. "That Pokemon...what can it be?"  
_  
__I don't know--it's scary!_ Katsu said, feeling the Pokemon's great power. As a psychic type, he had a special weakness for ghost type attacks.

Rafael also shrank back, ears flat. "Pika pi..."

_ He says it's...a Spooky? What's a Spooky?_

"PikaCHU!"

_ Oh. He says it's a really powerful ghost Pokemon--and this one might be a Pokemon Lord, so it's extra powerful. It sure got rid of those weapons._

Willow frowned thoughtfully. "You're right...Team Blade will have to Pokemon battle the ghosts now! But their Pokemon are so powerful, and they probably brought ones that would be really good for this fight They can't do this alone....wait! We can help them battle!"

"Chu...?"

"I know they probably won't _want_ to battle with us, but if we attack them, they'll have to--and that will take their attention away from the ghosts! What do you think, Rafael? I'm guessing Team Blade will use a lot of ghost Pokemon, since it looks like they'd be right at home here. That means we'll need your help the most, since you know about ghosts."

Rafael flicked his tail back and forth, thinking. "Pika...pikachu. Pi pikachu!"

_ He says we'll definitely fight. I would help too, but I can't do much against ghosts...actually, most of us can't, really. Sorry..._

Willow stroked the little psychic type's head. "It's okay, Katsu-I know you'd help if you could. Let's go, Rafael--we have to stop Team Blade!"

Rafael nodded, clambering up Willow's arm to perch on her shoulder. The two carefully snuck around the wall of the arena, hiding in the shadows. They had to get within striking distance of Team Blade before they were seen and attacked themselves.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose clenched her fists, glaring at the twisted remains of her weapon. They had to defeat these ghosts and gain something from the Pokemon Lord--Rose wasn't sure what. She had been commanded to be here, and so she was. Rose knew little about ghost Pokemon, but she could tell that this new creature was extremely powerful.

Rose considered her two Pokemon. She trained nothing that could fight a ghost: normal-type Scratch, a Meowth, couldn't land a blow on a ghost, and Fang, her Houndour, knew too few dark-type moves. These ghosts looked powerful, and Rose wasn't willing to send her Pokemon into a hopeless battle that would only get them injured.

Rose looked up, studying the ghosts. She might not be able to help, but at least she could gauge the strength of this incredible ghost--it might be helpful later if the other Pokemon Lords had similar strength. Rose knew she had to be prepared--these were high-stakes battles.

Suddenly, Rose noticed a slight movement at the edge of the arena. Someone was sneaking towards the battle...but who?

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow pressed her back against the arena wall, trying to keep to the shadows as much as possible. She had almost reached Team Blade...almost...

The Team Blade members had pulled out Pokeballs and attacked the ghosts, who struck back with a vengeance. The battle was fierce, but Team Blade had yet to use their spliced Pokemon; apparently, very few of the Team Blade trainers had the privilege of using them.

One Team Blade member stepped forward, holding out a single Pokeball. He smirked, flipping his dark-brown bangs out of his eyes.

"I'll handle this one, if it's too much for you guys," he said, casting forth the Pokeball. Out of it appeared a Pokemon Willow didn't recognize; she correctly guessed that it must be spliced.

Willow was certain it was at least part ghost-type, but there was something else in it too-something that suggested the wild ferocity of the dark-type. It was a slender cat-like creature, head reaching its master's thighs as it sat on its haunches, thin tail swishing across the hard ground. Its red eyes narrowed, focusing on its opponent: the ghosts.

Willow knew this Pokemon was dangerous. If its train had chosen to send it alone against the ghosts, it must have some huge advantage. She had to stop the trainer and his Pokemon before it could attack the ghosts and force them to retreat.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose frowned. Who was that girl? She didn't look like anything special--average height, average weight, average cloths. The Team Blade girl studied the stranger's long, pale-brown hair and nervous light-gray eyes. She had good reason to be frightened, whoever she was; she had walked into the middle of a Team Blade attack.

Rose considered stopping the strange girl, but decided against it with an indifferent shrug. Captain Marius would take of her with his spliced Pokemon—Nightshade.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow glanced at Rafael on her shoulder. Would he be able to fight this strange Pokemon? Willow wasn't sure, but she knew Rafael, with his knowledge of ghost Pokemon, was the only one of their team that stood a chance.

"Rafael...we have to get them to fight us. If we do that, then maybe the ghosts will have time to run away or regroup or something. But...I think they'll only attack us if we force them to see that we're a threat—worth fighting. So we have to strike before they see us, and we have to make it count, because we'll only get one shot at this."

Rafael nodded. "Pika pi!" Willow had taken him in when he was lost and alone, and now he would help her in return.

"PikaCHUUU!" Out of nowhere, a powerful thunderbolt struck. The strange, cat-like Pokemon, however, seemed to sense it coming; its ears twitched slightly, and it leapt aside. Marius turned.

Marius was annoyed. He had expected his team to complete a simple operation quickly, and they had wasted time fighting the ghosts. He had expected them to come prepared, but their special equipment had been easily thwarted by the ghost lord. And now, he was being attacked by an unknown source. It was certainly no threat, but it was a perfect opportunity to take out his pent-up anger.

Willow stepped out of the shadows to stand behind her Pokemon, fists clenched to stop her hands from shaking. Willow didn't know much about Team Blade, but she knew they had to win—or they would _all_ be in danger.


	14. Spirit Showdown

Ehehehehe...sorry this chapter took so long! But here it is at last. Maia's Pen, thanks for the reviews! Glad you liked the Slicer, and Rose as well (who appears in this chapter). Thank to all readers! And now, without futher ado...

Chap. 14—Spirit Showdown

A shrill whistle sounded. "All units, move out!"

Rose pushed her hair back behind here ears and glanced up; she had been so absorbed by the face-off between Captain Marius and the strange girl that she hadn't noticed the ghosts moving. Rose frowned, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. A large number of ghosts seemed to have fled...

Wait!

Suddenly, Rose realized what was going on. As her unit commander had seen, the ghosts had used a false retreat to disguise their true intention—surrounding Team Blade, flanking them and making it easier to defeat them. Team Blade had to respond quickly, and Rose's unit was following the retreating ghosts into the town to fight them their. Both sides would be separated into several smaller factions, but at least they would avoid being surrounded.

Rose hustled down the dusty, narrow streets, trying not to look at the empty buildings to either side. Those broken windows looked too much like dead, staring eyes for her taste. This whole town made her skin crawl, and the sooner they left, the better. Rose hurried to get in position as her unit commander had asked, readying her handgun, although she doubted it would be much use against ghosts; the special weapons Team Blade had brought had been broken by the Pokemon Lord.

Rose turned a corner and skidded to a stop. In front of her were a pair of ghost Pokemon—a Ghastly and a Haunter. They looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see them; apparently the ghosts had also been hurrying to get in position. Rose and the ghosts were in the same circumstance, although on opposite sides.

The ghosts quickly got over their surprise and turned to face Rose, grinning. Here was a chance to prove to their elders that they were tough enough to join the main battle, not just stay back and keep out of the way! They advanced toward Rose, ready to attack.

Rose bit her lip, thinking fast. Her gun was useless; she had no choice but to send out her Pokemon and hope for the best.

"Go—Scratch and Fang! Let's show these ghosts what we're made of!"

Scratch and Fang bounded forward enthusiastically, ready to defend their human friend and trainer. Fang howled in anticipation as Scratch sharpened his claws, purring.

Rose knew she was fighting at a disadvantage; Scratch might have trouble damaging the ghosts, and Fang had little physical defense. But Rose refused to give up; she and her Pokemon were all fierce fighters, and incredibly stubborn. They would never back down, no matter what the consequences. For them, it was a matter of pride.

The Haunter grinned and moved left as the Ghastly moved right, hoping to flank Rose's Pokemon. Thinking quickly, Rose issued her battle commands.

"Scratch, fall back and wait for the Ghastly to approach! Fang, get in there and use Bite on the Haunter!"

Scratch paced backwards, eyeing the Ghastly carefully. At the same time, Fang leaped toward the Haunter, slamming his jaws down on the insubstantial ghost. Although bite seemed like a simple physical attack, it was dark-type, and thus imbued with the dark energy of dark-type Pokemon. Fang's teeth slashed open the Haunter, wiping the grin off its face.

"Haunt, haunter haunt!" the Haunter yelled to the Ghastly. The other ghost Pokemon obeyed promptly, attacking with Shadow Ball. To the ghosts' apparent surprise, however, the ghostly move passed right through Scratch; these ghosts were young and had never been out of their homeland, so they didn't realize that Scratch was a normal-type Meowth.

"Meowth!" Scratch cried ferociously, using his own Bite attack to strike back at the Ghastly. The Ghastly quickly dodged aside, however, rendering the attack useless.

"Ghast. ghast!" the Ghastly vanished for a moment, then reappeared behind Scratch and struck home—a Faint Attack! Scratch howled in pain, falling back.

Rose wiped a drop of sweat off of her forehead. Double battles were tricky, and Rose knew that if she didn't finish this quickly, other ghosts might hear the commotion and join the fight. She had to try some kind of double attack.

"Fang, charge forward! Scratch, kneel down! Now Fang, spring off of Scratch and use Ember!"

The risky maneuver worked. Fang used Ember just as he was jumping, and slammed into the two ghosts as a snarling fireball. Ghastly and Haunter, seeing that they were outmatched, quickly fled.

Rose dropped to her knees with a sigh of relief; if the battle had gone on much longer, there was no telling what might have happened. Her two Pokemon immediately rushed over to make sure she was not injured. Grinning, Rose hugged them gently.

"We showed them a thing or two, huh? You two were great, but you'd better rest in your Pokeballs now—you both got hurt."

Rose returned her Pokemon and jogged off down the street. She was late to join her unit, and she didn't want to disappoint the commander. As she passed rotting buildings and dusty alleyways, Rose wondered idly what had become of the girl who had attacked Captain Marius. Then she smirked.

There was no question at all. Captain Marius never lost.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Willow clenched her fists, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She was facing a powerful trainer with a Pokemon whose abilities were totally unknown. But there was no choice; if she could buy just a little time for the ghosts, they might be able to gather enough reinforcements to defeat Team Blade. Willow swallowed hard; for a moment she didn't trust herself to speak.

"Pika pi!" Rafael looked back at Willow reassuringly. He had confidence in her, and she should have confidence in herself as well.

"That's right," Willow whispered to herself. "I'm not alone in this—my Pokemon are here fighting with me. We can do this...we can do this!"

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" Captain Marius strolled forward casually, smirking. "A little girl with a scrawny rat for a Pokemon is going to fight a Team Blade officer with one of our spliced Pokemon. Little girl, you don't know what you're getting into. Tell you what—if you want to run, I'll give you a head start."

Willow glared at the Captain with all the strength she could muster. "We'll see who's joking after our battle!"

Captain Marius raised an eyebrow. "Our battle? What makes you think I'm going to battle you? I could just shoot you and be done with it."

Willow couldn't keep a fearful look off of her face; she had never been in such a terrible, life-or-death situation before. The Captain laughed.

"Awww...don't tell me you're scared? All right, we'll battle. After all, just killing you wouldn't be any fun. Attack, Nightshade! Use Night Claw!"

Willow, startled by the sudden attack, didn't react fast enough; her Pokemon was still standing at her side. She screamed in pain as the cat Pokemon's sharp claws raked across the arm she threw out to defend herself. Blood trickled down her wrist.

"PikaCHUUUU!" Rafael, enraged by this attack on his defenseless trainer, struck back with a powerful Thunderbolt. The other Pokemon, however, easily leapt out of the way, glancing at Rafael without a trace of concern in its intelligent eyes.

"Unh...don't worry, Rafael—I'm okay. Now use your Agility!"

Rafael began moving much faster, dodging around the cat Pokemon with ease. Now that Willow was back on her feet, they could work together to win the battle.

"Nightshade, use Slash!"

To Willow's shock, the cat Pokemon suddenly spun around and struck Rafael with its claws!

"How did it know where Rafael was?" Willow cried in distress.

Captain Marius shrugged with elaborate unconcern. "Oh...did I forget to mention? Nightshade doesn't need to see you to attack. With just that little rat, there's no way you can win. Maybe you'd care to switch Pokemon? This fight won't be any fun if you're _this_ pathetic."

Willow was shaking not from fear now, but from anger. "Rafael is a _great_ Pokemon. He's plenty strong enough to beat that thing—in fact, he's a ghost expert!"

"Chu..." Rafael was very grateful for this loyal defense of his fighting abilities; his first trainer had had about the same opinion of him as Captain Marius. He was determined to win and prove Willow right. He _was_ strong, and he would teach Captain Marius not to take him lightly.

Willow smiled, seeing Rafael so determined to win. "That's right, Rafael—you can beat this guy! Remember, you know more than any of us about ghosts. How can we stop this Pokemon?"

Rafael thought. "Pika...pikachu. Chu, Pikachu."

_He says he's not sure, but he can tell you some stuff about ghosts_, Katsu said, popping his head out of Willow's backpack to translate. _Ghosts are good at dodging attacks—they have an energy field around their bodies, and when it gets disturbed they know something is there. And they can go bodiless if they have to, so it's very hard to hit them._

"Oh...that doesn't sound good," Willow muttered, biting her lip.

"Pika! Pikachu, chu!"

_Wait—Rafael says he should be able to dodge most of the ghost's attacks if he concentrates, because he's trained with ghosts and he knows how to read their body language._

"Pi, Pika. Chu pikachu."

_Rafael says if you can think of a way to stop the ghost from using its energy field, he could make an attack and win—it shouldn't take more than one attack if it's powerful enough._

"Disable the energy field...disable the energy field...but how can we...?"

Willow paused. Suddenly, she smiled. Her doubts and fears cleared away in the light of sudden inspiration.

Willow knew how to defeat Captain Marius!


	15. Spliced

Chap. 15-Spliced

Willow and Captain Marius faced each other in the chill, misty arena. Willow knew that if she could defeat the Captain, Team Blade would be disheartened and might retreat. She had to win this battle to help the ghost Pokemon!

The battle had seemed hopeless at first--Captain Marius' spliced Pokemon, Nightshade, had easily dodged Rafael's attacks using its ghostly energy field. If Rafael couldn't strike Nightshade, there was no way to defeat the Captain.

But now Willow smiled, face alight with hope. She knew the secret to defeating Captain Marius-she knew how to win! Rafael, seeing his trainer's confidence, felt more confident as well. He might not know Willow's plan, but he trusted Willow and would do what she asked of him.

"Rafael, I've got an idea-I think I know how we can stop Nightshade from dodging your attacks!"

"Did you hit your head when you fell, little girl?" Captain Marius smirked. "There's no way to stop Nightshade from reading your attacks. Your Pokemon may be well-trained, but it can't match what my Pokemon has-perfectly designed DNA. Nightshade was _born_ to fight!"

Willow shuddered. The idea of designing a living creature for battle, of making a Pokemon one more war machine, was disgusting. "My Pokemon are strong because they _choose_ to be. We'll win because we're a team-not like you and your _machine_!"

"Pika pi!" Rafael shouted in agreement. The difference between being created to fight and choosing to fight might seem small to Team Blade, but he knew it was all the difference in the world.

"Believe what you like-belief doesn't win battles. Superior strength does. Now...attack, Nightshade!"

"Rafael, dodge and use Thunder Wave!"

Rafael was confused; Thunder Wave didn't seem like the right attack for this situation. He still didn't know Willow's plan, though, so he would just have to trust her. He leapt away from Nightshade and sent paralyzing waves of electricity toward the spliced Pokemon.

As he expected, Nightshade easily dodged it. The attack missed and one of the metal poles in the arena wall. The metal, damp from the fog, crackled with electricity; the other Team Blade members hastily moved away from it lest they be painfully shocked.

Nightshade sniffed disdainfully, preparing to strike again. "Now--use Shadowball!" shouted Captain Marius. He didn't know what Willow could be thinking, but he knew it must be a pretty stupid plan if she was using Thunder Wave against Nightshade.

"Keep dodging and using Thunder Wave, Rafael-just trust me!"

Rafael nodded. "Pikachu!" He was totally loyal to Willow, and would follow her plan to the end.

Rafael's attacks continued to miss and strike the various walls and structures of the arena instead. The arena was very old, and the ghosts hadn't bothered to keep it in order; bits of junk were scattered here and there, and soon they were all sparking with the electricity of Thunder Wave.

"Chu...pikachu!" Rafael saw Willow's plan-it would work!

Captain Marius was perplexed. What could this little girl be thinking? So what if her rat used Thunder Wave-he could use it as much as he wanted, he would never hit Nightshade. Nightshade's special energy field allowed it to sense attacks before they hit.

"Now, Rafael--use Thunderbolt!"

The Captain rolled his eyes. Would this foolish trainer never learn? "Dodge, Nightshade!"

To Marius' surprise, however, Nightshade looked confused. It tried to leap aside, but the Thunderbolt struck home. Nightshade gave an unearthly shriek of pain that rose out of Willow's hearing range. She was unnerved, but quickly focused on the battle. Her plan was working!

Captain Marius scowled. "How did you do that? How did you strike Nightshade?"

Willow grinned proudly. "You thought all the Thunder Waves Rafael used had no effect. They may not have had an effect on Nightshade...but they had an effect on the field! Look around. All of those Thunder Waves created a new electrical field that disrupted your Pokemon's energy field!"

Captain Marius gaped in shock. Mouthing silently, he looked around the field. There was no denying it; Willow was right. He had been outsmarted by a rookie trainer! Furiously he tried to think of a new strategy, but he was at a loss. Captain Marius had depended on his spliced Pokemon's special powers to win battles for some time, and he wasn't used to losing the upper hand, let alone thinking of a new strategy on the spot. Willow, on the other hand, was used to being the underdog. She immediately followed through on her plan.

"Now, Rafael-use Thunder! Finish this battle!"

"Pi...ka...CHUUUU!" Rafael leapt into the air, charging his electricity. At the height of the jump, he released a powerful Thunder attack, striking the confused Nightshade and knocking it out.

Captain Marius grimaced in disgust. "Damn...the spliced Pokemon are supposed to have increased power-how could this happen?"

Willow and Rafael looked angrily at the Captain, united in their feelings about Team Blade's gene splicing experiments. "You could _never_ understand the power that we have when we work together."

Captain Marius turned on his communicator, ordering the other members of the Team Blade attack force. "All units retreat-the Ghost Op. is a failure. Move-now!"

Team Blade hastily packed up their weapons and retreated to regroup and rethink their strategy. They had failed in their objective at the Ghost Town...they would have to move on to their next target.

Willow held out her arms to Rafael, who jumped onto her shoulder, as happy as his trainer. "Rafael, you were incredible! That was the best Thunder attack I've ever seen!"

"Pika, pikachu," Rafael agreed, very proud of himself.

Arturo came to join them, making sure Willow was uninjured. "Willow, what will we do next? The "Team Blade" has retreated, but we do not know where to. How can we stop them now?"

Willow pondered for a moment, at a loss. Then she looked up with determination. "I don't know how we'll find them, Arturo...but we will. I won't let them hurt anyone else!"

Willow felt a chill touch one her shoulder. Startled, she turned to see one of the ghosts examining her seriously. Turning, the Haunter called to the other ghosts, who came to drift around her, all watching her thoughtfully.

"Haunt. Haunta haunt?"

"Uh...I-I'm sorry...I don't know what you're saying."

_I do! I do, Willow! They're saying, why did you fight those people?_

"Thanks, Katsu! Ghosts, those people were Team Blade. We're not completely sure what they're up to, but we know it's not good, and we don't want them to hurt anyone. They attacked you, so...I just thought we might be able to help out."

"Haunt. Haunt, haunta!"

The ghost Pokemon turned to confer with the other ghosts. Several sped off to summon their leader, the Pokemon Ghost Lord: Spooky.

Willow stifled a gasp as the enormous ghost she had seen before appeared, turning its blood-red eyes on her. Waving one disembodied hand, it grinned. "Spooky! Spook...spooky, spook. Spook!"

_It's saying thank you for helping them. Oh, and it says Team Blade was after him because he's a Pokemon Lord. It seems they were trying to...steal his essence? I'm not sure what that means..._

"Does he mean DNA? That's what that Slicer thing said, right?"

_I guess so...they don't seem to know for sure._

"Haunt. Haunt, haunta haunt," added the Haunter, who seemed to be the Pokemon Lord's advisor and spokes-Pokemon.

_He says that if Team Blade is stealing the essences-you know, DNA-of Pokemon Lords, they may go after the Ground Lord next. That's further north...maybe we should head there next?_

"Hmm...well, we don't have anything else to go on, so I guess that's our best bet. Thank you, ghosts! If those Team Blade people come back, will you be all right?"

"Spooky, spooky," the Pokemon Lord said, waving a hand dismissively. He was clearly supremely confident in his ghost subjects. If Team Blade returned, they would be ready.

"That's good to hear. Well...we should get going, I guess. Thank you again for your help!"

"Spooky!"

_He says, good luck!_

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rose trudged back through the thick overgrowth, seething. They had been defeated! They, Team Blade, had been defeated by _one trainer_! Rose was ashamed. Captain Marius, their unstoppable champion, had lost to a rookie. How would her platoon face the others now? And the ghosts--even with their special weapons and assurances that the creepy machine, the Slicer, would help them, the ghosts had beaten them.

The Slicer...Rose hated it. It was disturbing to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye. She would turn her head quickly, trying to see the true form of an object that had seemed frightening from that unique viewpoint, only to discover that _as usual_ it was the Slicer. And the Slicer was just as creepy seen with both eyes as out of the corner of one.

They were heading back to the temporary base now because of the Slicer. Captain Marius would surely be demoted as well; no wonder they were marching so slowly. Marius was in no mood to hear the reprimands of his superiors and lose his prize spliced Pokemon, which up to now had never lost him a match. But such was the way of it; if you failed, you couldn't expect anything else.

Finally the group reached the concealed door to the base. The scouts softly called out the password, and a trapdoor ground open from the shadows of the forest floor. They filed down the narrow stairway into the dark caverns below. This was only a temporary encampment, so the accommodations were rough; they could barely see by the fluorescent lights strung intermittently along the ceiling.

Rose and her fellow Team Blade members headed to the main chamber to be debriefed. As expected, Captain Marius was soundly berated by his superiors and summarily demoted; he would move to a new unit immediately. His spliced Pokemon, Nightshade, was taken for "adjustments."

Later, Rose idly wandered down the corridor to watch these being done; none of the rank-and-file Team Blade operatives really understood the splicing process. For them, it was like a magician's act at a fair--the results looked much more spectacular than the process that created it. All Rose had ever seen of the splicing labs were computer monitors and testing programs. She had never actually seen a Pokemon get spliced, whatever that was; all of the specimens she had seen worked on had been babies, being adjusted while still in the egg. This was different, and Rose hoped it would be worth watching.

The splicing labs, unlike the rest of the small complex, were brightly lit. The Team Blade scientists who worked there said they needed light to perform their experiments, and no Team Blade member would dare challenge them. At first Team Blade had thought little of the scientists, considering them lab-coated cowards who would never be seen near a real fight. After seeing the results of their work, however, respect for them increased. There was no question that those experiments produced excellent results.

To Rose's disappointment, Nightshade had already been adjusted; the two researchers were only checking over their results now. She stayed to watch all the same; it was better than doing nothing.

"Hmm...adjust the display and increase the scope slightly--it's blurry. You made changes to the bone structure? Yes...yes, I see. What is it they had you do to it?" The white-coated man stroked his mustache, examining the scanning electron microscope's display. He had helped create Nightshade, and naturally was not eager to make adjustments; he saw nothing wrong with the original model.

Another researcher turned to hand him a file, pulling off some surgical gloves. "More speed, they said. I tried to explain to them that there's only so far we can push the speed before the impact damages the joints, but they never listen...I had to substitute some other adjustments to make it faster." She too bent to examine the image on the screen.

At this point, Rose ceased to understand what they were talking about: the two scientists began to confer about the various chromosomes and alleles and tendons and neural pathways, and she tuned out. Instead, Rose turned her attention to the Pokemon itself.

It--that was what the others always called the spliced Pokemon. Rose thought that was a little strange, since they referred to their own Pokemon as he or she. Why were all the spliced Pokemon "it?" It couldn't be that they were all hermaphroditic; the research team bred the spliced Pokemon to see what traits the offspring would have if they survived. So why?

Rose watched the cat-like creature; its eyelids flickered. Nightshade was suspended in a tube of some strange, greenish liquid, covered in various tubes and monitoring devices. The Pokemon could have been suspended in the womb, waiting for its own birth. Waiting as it had done the last two times it was "adjusted."

"It's only a temporary fix. They do understand that, don't they? At some point the thing's system will reject all of these changes. Its body is going to give out if we keep doing this. And this time we needed surgery for the leg adjustments...you did explain this to them?"

The man nodded. "I tried, I tried...you know how they are. They have no appreciation of art. That's what this is--_art_. Look at it. Look at the svelte body, perfect for dodging attacks. Look at the head, the wedge-shaped skull to make it more aerodynamic, the forward-facing, round eyes to help it hunt and improve its night vision, the mouth, perfectly shaped for a carnivore's teeth. And the integration of ghost and dark-type characteristics! And they want me to adjust it? No appreciation at all."

"Mmm...and they'll just ask us to make another one. They don't understand at all. It isn't some kind of _template_. It's a painting, not a photograph. We can't just pull them off an assembly line."

The woman sighed, then turned to the Pokemon. Carefully she drained the chamber, then opened the capsule and removed the various devices attached to Nightshade. She stood the Pokemon on the table, gently drying it off with a towel. The feline creature yawned, scratching an ear. It looked so normal, doing that. You'd never guess what it really was, Rose thought to herself.

"Hmm...well, it looks fine. It seems to have adjusted well...give it a few more days and it'll be ready for battle."

"A few more battles and it's done. It's shameful. We give them a miracle, and they throw it away. Shameful..."

They walked off together, releasing Nightshade to roam the base as it pleased. The spliced Pokemon wouldn't damage anything, and it was good for it to have a chance to exercise and grow accustomed to its changed body.

Rose cautiously approached the strange creature. It flicked an ear, watching her out of the corner of one yellow eye. Nightshade's appearance was frightening (although Rose stubbornly told herself she wasn't afraid): its body was somehow too sleek, too black, too fast. The creature amiably padded over, however, and nuzzled Rose's hand. Nightshade was lonely; it had no one to play with. It didn't know why it was in this cold, dank place or why it was made to battle or why its body was adjusted over and over again. It was content to stay with Team Blade, but it would have liked a change of pace.

Rose knelt, stroking the spliced Pokemon's smooth head. "Heh...guess you're not so scary after all, huh? Not that I was scared," she added quickly, giving the Pokemon a look as if it had suggested this.

Nightshade made a sound that might have been purring.

"I'm busy, you got it? I don't have time to play. I have work to do...I need to train. I can't hang around with someone else's weapon. That would be weird, you know? You're not a pet. I can't play with you."

Nightshade looked at her coolly, tail flicking back and forth. Rose twisted a lock of hair in her fingers, indecisive.

"I guess...I guess you could train with us. You could probably use the practice. That's what a good operative does on break, trains. So, I guess you can come along."

Nightshade purred louder, silently following Rose down the corridor. Rose's voice echoed faintly back to the empty lab. "But this is _not_ playing. You got that?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

It shimmered unnaturally in the dim lighting of the underground chamber. Its smooth, visor-covered face, if it could be called a face, was devoid of features or emotion. Looking into it, all that could be seen was the viewer's own face. It was sleek, sharp, elegant death on legs.

It was the Slicer, and it was being adjusted.

The Slicer had been unable to help Team Blade in their last mission because its functions had been jammed by an outside source. To prevent this, Team Blade was adding in another of the Progenitor artifacts in their possession: Crystal Refraction Armor. They were making the final check now; all was in order.

The electric light's bare bulb glared down at the Slicer. The light reflected brilliantly off the Slicer's impossibly smooth surface, creating a blinding glare. Its body sparkled in the light, but the effect was far from pleasing: it had a surreal, sickening quality to it. The Slicer's new armor made it an even more formidable foe, and Team Blade was satisfied. They avoided looking at it if they could help it already; this didn't make much of a difference. The technicians left the room, packing away their tools and chatting idly. Their work was done, and they were ready to rest up for their next mission.

The Slicer stood alone in the room, glimmering impassively. If it had had a face, it would have made a very slight smile. Its mission was going well; it was unperturbed by Team Blade's failure to retrieve the Ghost Lord's DNA code. There were plenty of other targets to seek out on their journey north. The Slicer moved noiselessly down the corridor to its designated area to await its new mission.

In the empty room, the single bulb flickered and died.


End file.
